The Right Path
by CauseChocolateRocks
Summary: After a Timeturner accident sent her back in time, Hermione Granger faces the events she knows she can't change, and tries to be ignored. But, despite her best efforts, she attracts the eyes of some people, and manages to fall in love, only to find that the events didn't exactly happen the way she though they had...
1. Lily Evans

**Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters. Everything belongs to JK Rowling, and I'm merely allowed to play around with them. No copyright infringement is intended.**

The Right Path

-o-O-o-

_Chapter 1_

_No. No, no, no, no, no. __This can't be happening!_ Hermione thought as she ran through the corridors of the Department of Mysteries. _We're dead. We are so, so, so dead._

She heard heavy footfalls, and instantly knew someone was following her. A Death Eater, by the sound of it. She took a sharp turn left, hoping to lose her assailant. She had no such luck. She ran, ran and ran as fast as her legs would carry her, the adrenaline pumping in her system. Soon, she reached a door. She flung it open and slammed it shut before her pursuer could follow her. She turned around, her back to the door, and examined her surroundings.

The room was dimly lit, but everywhere it shone with golden glints. _Timeturners!_ Hermione realized. The man slammed the door with all his weight, nearly tearing it down. _I don't have much time. Wait a second… Time! That's it! I only need to use one of the Timeturners to warn Harry not to come to the Ministry!_ Trembling with excitement, she grabbed the nearest Timeturner and placed it around her neck. The door rattled again. _Two hours should do it. _she thought.

Just as she started turning the little hourglass, the door slammed open with the strength of the Death Eater's hit, and Hermione fell to the ground, the hourglass spinning much more than twice. As she hit the ground, she felt herself being tugged by the chain, and suddenly she felt herself start spinning, spinning, spinning…

-o-O-o-

When Hermione open her eyes, all she could see was white. As she recovered her consciousness, she noticed she was lying down. What's more, she was laying down on something soft! There was a dull ache in her temples, where she could hear her pulse so loudly it hurt. She gave a soft moan, shaking her head slightly as if it would make the pain go away. She heard someone bustling about and squeezed her eyes shut, hoping for peaceful slumber. Unfortunately, the person had another idea.

"You're awake!" Hermione recognized that voice. She opened her eyes and, sure enough, Madam Pomfrey was staring back at her. "You gave us quite a fright, Miss, err…"

"Granger, Madam Pomfrey." she answered. Her voice was hoarse, as if she'd never drunk any water. She noticed the nurse's hair was blond. How was it she never noticed before?

The elder woman stiffened. "How is it that you know my name?"

Hermione was puzzled. "I come here often, though. My friends do too."

She looked puzzled. "And who, may I pray, are your friends?" she asked cautiously, as if talking to a delirious person.

"Mister Potter, for example." _How could the woman not know?_

She stared at Hermione for a long time, as if judging her sanity. Finally, she decided. "Very well." the matron said, standing up. "I will fetch you Mister Potter, as well as Professor Dumbledore."

Hermione smiled and released a breath she had not realised she had been holding. "Thank you." The nurse left without another word. Hermione stretched and winced as the pounding in her head increased once more. She inhaled deeply through her nose for a couple of minutes, thinking. _What if Harry already left?_ she asked herself. _I shouldn't have fainted… Stupid, stupid, stupid!_

She scolded herself mentally some more before she heard the door open. Her eyes flashed open. Professor Dumbledore walked in, soon followed by Madam Pomfrey, and finally…

"Harry!" Hermione cried gleefully. "Harry, I was so worried! What happened at the Ministry? What time is it? Have you even left yet? I-" She cut herself off suddenly. The boy had hazel eyes. Not the familiar bright emerald green orbs her friend had inherited from… his… _mother_.

"I think you can leave, James." Dumbledore said quietly. The boy did as he was told, still looking rather disorientated. Dumbledore sat on the bed, crossing his hands onto his lap. "Well, Miss… Granger was it?" Hermione nodded, her mind clouded. "I can understand how troubled you are. Le me explain what happened. You were found in a restricted department of the Ministry of Magic, alone, wounded, with this" he pulled out Hermione's Timeturner. "around your throat. You were wearing a Gryffindor uniform, so the Aurors brought you here. I am right to assume that, in your own time period, you were in that house?" she nodded. "Well… I think you might understand the gravity of the situation." he waited slightly for the information to sink in before he added: "Just do you know, the date is 21st of June 1976. Now… Where, or should I say when, do you come from?"

"I…" Hermione couldn't speak. "I come from…" Then she burst out crying.

Professor Dumbledore nodded. "It's alright. You don't have to tell me. At least not now. Meanwhile, I would like you to… well, recover, but try to… Miss Granger, this is going to be hard to hear but…" he inhaled deeply, his eyes shining with compassion. "We can't send people forward in time…" She looked up. "It is, in fact, part of Merlin's 17th law, like bringing the dead back to life. So, I would suggest that, well, you make a new life… here."

Hermione couldn't breathe. The pounding in her head intensified, and suddenly she thought she knew what being hanged felt like. "I'm… stuck here?" she managed to choke out. Mercifully, her eyes remained dry for the moment, and the temporal absence of sobs managed to make her hearing functional, despite the continuous headache.

Dumbledore stood up, his face grave. "I'm afraid so, Miss Granger." This was it, then, no chance of all this being a joke, then. "Now, if you would like to pop in to tell me about your life before this, ah, regrettable incident, feel free. The password is 'Liquorice Wand.'" He walked over to the door, stopping at the handle, as he seemed to remember something. "Also, Miss Granger, what is your first name?"

Hermione looked up from her bed. "I… Hermione, sir. Hermione Granger."

Dumbledore smiled. "Very well, Hermione. You were in Gryffindor, weren't you? I trust you'll find your way to the Common Room easily. The password is 'Lochness monster'. Good luck!" And with that, he left, and the tears started to flow.

-o-O-o-

_Make a life here? How the hell am I supposed to do that?! Barmy old owl…_ Hermione cursed in her head. As she was walking towards the Gryffindor Tower, Hermione fumed. She was enraged, not sad anymore. She was a strong girl, and would act like one. No more whining and crying.

She was going to do something about this. She couldn't change the timeline, she knew that. If she did, there was a chance that she might disappear altogether, and now that she had recovered her pride, she intended, very much, to stay alive. She also intended to prove the great Merlin wrong and find a way back home. And everyone knew, or at least, will know, that nothing could break Hermione Granger's will.

She kept her nose high even as she arrived to her destination. Memories started flooding her mind once more, but she was dead set on ignoring them. She looked up at the familiar portrait. "Lochness monster." she said confidently.

The Fat Lady smiled. "Welcome to Gryffindor." she said warmly, swinging forward. Hermione stepped in. As soon as her foot touched the inside of the red and golden room, the chatter and laughing going on stopped. Everyone stared at her as if she had a Hinkypunk in her hair.

No matter how much she wished her faith in her promises to stay strong, her legs suddenly turned to jelly, impressed. She could see the crowd shuffling, and out came a tall red-headed girl. _Ginny!_ Hermione thought, before mentally shaking her head. It couldn't be Ginny. This was the past here!

The girl straightened and looked at Hermione, as if analyzing her. _Besides, she has curly hair._ "Hi!" the girl said, breaking into a smile. "My name's Lily, Lily Evans! I'm Gryffindor's girl Prefect!"

Hermione shook her hand. "I'm Hermione." she said, her face blank. "Hermione Granger. I..." she swallowed. She just realised she had no cover story. How was she going to explain her sudden arrival in the end of a school year? "I'm new and... well... I guess you noticed that by now." _Pathetic, Granger._ she reprimanded herself mentally. She braced herself for the flood of questions, but none came.

Lily's smile broadened. "Yes! I'm in sixth year. Professor Dumbledore came earlier and explained your situation." Hermione winced. She _did_ have a cover story, but one she was not aware of? That wasn't going to be helpful. "We're sorry for your loss." she continued, and Hermione felt her resolve begin to crumble. The rest of the Gryffindors nodded. "That You-Know-Who really is awful. But it's alright, we've all lost someone to his hands, directly or not." All the Gryffindors were still looking at her, but not with curiosity, as it had been in the beginning. No, they were staring at her in sympathy. "Here, in Gryffindor," she gestured to behind her. "we're all one big happy family. You can tell us anything, and we'll make sure you don't feel left out." All of them had stood up, and were now standing in a semi-circle around her.

Hermione blinked back tears. "I... Thank you... I don't know what to say..." _Brilliant Hermione. You didn't last two minutes before breaking your promise._

Someone in the crowd shouted: "GROUP HUG!" and suddenly, all the Gryffindors, from 1st to 7th years, were huddled close around the newcomer. Hermione couldn't help it; she laughed.

And her laugh was the most delicious sound a certain Marauder, stuck between two heavily perfumed girls, had ever heard.

-o-O-o-

**Hmm… Who is it that likes Hermione's laugh? I gave you a big hint! Take a guess in a review! Feel free, I love those. **

**Next chapter: More characters come into place, some our hero will like, some not. **


	2. Two Blacks

**Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters. Everything belongs to JK Rowling, and I'm merely allowed to play around with them. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**I posted the last chapter during my lunch break, and when I came back home, I checked my e-mails and saw five follows and a favourite. Already?! You guys are awesome! So, in thanks to PepperAnn11, hermionemalfoyforever, freedomcows007, Dragon-Kitten17 andLarrabee ****you now get an extra long chapter. Enjoy!**  


_Chapter 2_

-o-O-o-

As Hermione slowly regained consciousness, she heard a couple of noises around her. Outside, a bird was chirping, and inside, she could hear dull chatter that seemed to come from far away. Stretching, she let her memory slowly come back and the pieces of her brain came together. She inhaled deeply. _OK,_ she though, _so I'm stuck in school with Harry's parents with no hope of ever getting home. What's more, I can't change the Timeline because it could have disastrous effects and destroy the world altogether. Brilliant. How did I get myself into this mess anyway?_ She stretched again and began to sit up, slowly opening her eyes.

"Oh, you're awake!" she heard a small feminine voice say. She ran her hand through her air and examined her surroundings. Gryffindor Tower was much the same as she remembered it, albeit with cleaner windows. She shook her head slightly, hoping to get rid of the headache that was settling in, and came upon a rather strange sight. A small girl with short, light brown hair and deep, dark blue eyes was sitting on the bed just opposite hers, and staring at her with interest. She was smiling.

"Hello." Hermione said, still slightly disorientated. "Who are you?" she added, pulling her covers off. She was wearing a night gown, at the very least.

"Oh, how rude of me!" the girl exclaimed, smoothing her skirt. "My name's Mary. Mary McDonald. Professor Dumbledore told me to keep an eye on you today, and to help you around the castle… to see if you needed any help."

Hermione stared. "Why couldn't Lily do it?" she asked, then blushed and looked down, ashamed by the rudeness of her answer.

Mary's smile didn't waver. "She's a prefect, see? She has more duties than the most of us. Besides, she's in sixth year, she has a different timetable. If you're wondering why me and not someone else, no, I am not aspiring to take Lily's place, it is simply because all the others are passing their Divination O.W.L.'s right now." She scrunched up her nose. "I hate Divination. Pure rubbish, that subject."

Hermione smiled. "I know right, supposedly reading the future in tea leaves and seeing omens in fog. Utter bullshit."

Mary stared at her for a while. At first, Hermione thought it might have been because of her use of language. She rarely swore, but she couldn't miss an opportunity to insult Divination. That was, at least, until Mary asked, rather carefully: "You've done Divination before?"

Hermione internally face palmed herself. "Erm… Yeah, in my old school." she tried to come up with an excuse, but Mary cut her.

"It's okay," she said. "You don't have to talk about it. I won't force you to." she looked up. "Dumbledore told us."

"What exactly did Dumbledore tell you?" she asked carefully. She stood up, pretending to be interested in what she was going to wear today.

"Not much." Mary admitted fleetingly. "Just that you came from the south, that your name was Hermione Granger, that you were Muggleborn and that your school had been burnt down and your parents… killed." she looked up to see if she had gone too far.

Hermione was holding up two skirts, one navy and one deep burgundy, but was really hanging on to each word Mary said. "It's okay," she told the worried looking girl. "I'm tough." she added with a wink.

Looking marginally reassured, Mary continued. "He said you came here to pass your O.W.L.'s, as there is no other wizarding school in Great Britain, and to continue your scholarship."

Hermione gulped down, deciding on the burgundy skirt. "Well," she said, trying to smile and, despite her best efforts, failing miserably. "He got that right." She dashed to the bathroom to change and, thankfully, Mary didn't follow. She probably thought she wanted to cry in peace or something.

As Hermione dressed, she thought over her situation. It wasn't the best, being stuck in a time when James' body and Lily's eyes will haunt her, reminding her of her best friend, who had maybe died in the Ministry. And all those people who had died and she couldn't save, all those traitors she could not even turn in, those innocents she couldn't stray from the Dark Side…

She shook her head and proceeded to button her shirt. _It could have been worse…_ she resolved. And it was true: she could have ended up in the middle ages, to be hanged for witchcraft, or during the Second World War, to be bombed relentlessly day and night, or 70 million years ago, to e stepped on by a dinosaur. _Although, technically, I would be swimming by now._ she figured

She got out of the bathroom to find Mary on her bed, leafing through a book. When she looked up and saw the newly dressed Hermione, she smiled and stood up, book in hand. "This is my favourite book." she declared, before handing it over. "It's called _Hogwarts, a History_. With it, you could find your way through just about the whole castle. Although, if you want secret passages, you could always ask the boys." she added after a second thought. "Here," she said, pressing the large volume in the other girl's hand. "Take it."

"I… I…" Hermione stuttered, overwhelmed by the girl's kindness and generosity. "I couldn't possibly-"

Mary shook her head. "You can have it for as long as you like." she declared. "Besides, I've read it so much I practically know it off by heart." she smiled gently.

"I… Thank you." Hermione said genuinely, throwing herself in the other girl's arms. The other Gryffindor was caught off guard, but once the shock had worn off, she returned the embrace wholeheartedly.

It was a couple of minutes before they broke apart. "Well," Mary said, a huge smile on her face, "We've got to hurry up if we don't want to miss lunch."

With that, Hermione's eyebrows shot up. As Mary moved to the door, she asked timidly: "Erm... Mary?" The other girl looked around, a curious expression on her face as the door stood half-open behind her. "Would you be as kind as to tell me what time it is? I… I kind of lost my watch in my precipitated leave and-"

"No need to say more," Mary said. "I'll ask Professor McGonagall to lend you one for the time being. Right now it is… Around half past twelve."

Hermione nodded. "Thank you." she said earnestly. The other smiled and they headed downstairs. The Common Room was empty, except for a pair of second years playing Exploding Snap. Mary guided Hermione out and into the many twisting and turning corridors and moving staircases of Hogwarts. Hermione was glad to see that, like the dormitories, not much had changed from here to her own timeline.

The girls entered the Great Hall and all over sudden, all chatting stopped. Suddenly, Hermione felt very shy and only continued to walk when Mary tugged insistently at her hand. She practically dragged her to the Gryffindor table, the furthest away from the door, which gave the whole of its inhabitants a look at her blush, blush that would have made a Weasley proud.

She sat down between Mary and another girl she didn't know, and the chatter resumed as quickly as it had stopped. The girl on Hermione's left nudged her side. "Hey," she said, smiling. "My name's Alice."

Hermione looked up and shook Alice's hand. The girl was about her height with long dark brown hair and a round face. Her eyes were a very light hue of blue, almost white, with long lashes around them. "I'm Hermione. Hermione Granger."

Alice's smile widened. "Yes, I heard all about you." she admitted, before turning to the rest of the table. "In fact, we've all heard all about you, haven't we people?" The echo of "YES!" that went round made Hermione wonder whether they had been listening all along or not. She gave a slight giggle and started helping herself to chicken breast. Alice poked her in the side and started pointing. "That, on my left, is Lily Evans." Lily waved.

"I know her." Hermione said. Lily beamed. "She introduced me yesterday."

"You remember!" Lily gushed.

Hermione gave a cheeky grin. "Obviously, I'm not daft!" A girl on Lily's left snorted.

Alice rolled her eyes. "The girl who just practically inhaled her soup is Marlene McKinnon." Hermione got another small wave. "On Marlene's left is Frank Longbottom." Hermione gave a shy smile towards the boy, who promptly blushed and looked back down. "In front of her is Peter Pettigrew." Hermione's smile nearly faltered at the mention of his name, but she regained composure just a second after, sending a polite nod in his direction. "In front of Lily is-"

"No!" a voice came from where Alice was pointing. "Let me do the rest of the introduction!" it said. Hermione turned and saw a vivid image of her best friend sending a dazzling smile her way. "I," he said, gesturing towards his chest in a royal manner. "Am James Charlus Potter," he winked. "The second." Hermione rolled her eyes. "To serve you, miss Hermione." he shot out to grab her hand and kiss her knuckles, while she giggled and blushed at the mere stupidity of it all. He let go of her hand and gestured to the person sitting on his left. "This is my not-so-noble squire-"

"Squire?" the boy shouted, although on a joking tone. "You're the squire! In fact no, you'll be my horse!" James snorted and the boy turned to her. "I'm Sirius Orion Black the Third, of the Most Noble and Ancient House of Black, to your service milady." He kissed her knuckles too. This Sirius had nothing to do with the Sirius from her timeline. The one from her timeline was thin, with sunken cheekbone and a gaunt face. This one was muscular, with a handsome face and curls of raven black hair that fell carelessly into his soft silver grey eyes. If she was honest with herself, Hermione would admit she liked this Sirius much more than his elder counterpart. Then again, she felt a surge of pity towards the poor boy that, in a few years' time, would have his best friends murdered and be thrown in Azkaban for a crime he hadn't committed.

"Whatever." James said. "Don't listen to him, Hermione, he's totally lame." Sirius slapped him behind the head for that, and his glasses nearly fell into his pudding. Both boys were chortling. "This," James pointed to a tall boy on Sirius' other side. "Is Remus Lupin, the first, I think…?"

Remus shook his head. He had short sandy blond hair and happy blue eyes, although the shadows under them were pretty visible. Small and pale scars marred his face, even in his young age. He gave her a half smile, highlighting one on the side of his ear. "Is it alright if I just shake hands with you? I personally think all this kissing knuckles things as impersonal and improper."

His voice was surprisingly soft, and Hermione took a while to answer. "Erm… Yeah sure." She held out her hand, and he shook it softly, his eyes never leaving hers. She noticed how Sirius and James were staring at the both of them, and decided to make a joke. "Do you know if their over-inflated heads will fit in their silver helmets or not?"

Remus chuckled at this, but Sirius was quick to retort. "I don't know, but I can tell you about something else that is over-inflated around you." Hermione blushed crimson, and Sirius' laughter echoed around the room.

Suddenly a cold voice sounded from behind her. "It's not that I don't enjoy watching other people torture Mudbloods, Sirius, but I need to talk to you." Hermione turned to find herself faced with an almost carbon-copy of Sirius in front of her.

"Regulus." Sirius said coldly, all traces of jokes gone from his voice. It was rather creepy watching him look so much like his older self. "What do you want?" he barked.

Regulus rolled his eyes. They were a shade of grey lighter than Sirius', sparkling with malice and taunt. "No need to sound so impatient, dear brother."

"You are no brother of mine." Sirius warned coldly. "I left and that bitch you call your mother blasted me off the family tree, may I remind you."

Regulus arched a delicate eyebrow at him. "I recall introducing yourself to the Mudblood as belonging to the Most Famous and Most Ancient House Of Black, did you not?" he sneered.

"Don't call her that!" Sirius stormed. He would have stood up and hexed the little bugger's backside if James and Remus hadn't been holding him.

"It's okay, Sirius." Hermione whispered. She stood up and faced Regulus. She stared into his eyes defiantly, even though he was well over a head taller than her. His haughty look annoyed her to no end. "He's not worth it." she added, before shoving him away.

He looked disgusted beyond words. He was wiping the front of his robes, as if trying to get rid of germs. He looked back up at her, his face twisted in pure hatred. "You'll pay for this Mudblood!" he hissed, before storming away.

Hermione sat back down and proceeded with eating her lunch. "Hermione?" She looked up at Sirius eying her carefully. "Are you alright?"

She felt a rush of affection towards the boy. Underneath his hard shell of arrogance, he was really sweet. She smiled. "Of course I am. You'd see if I wasn't. I've been called worse."

"Oh…" he mumbled, before his cheerful grin went back into place. "That," he gushed, "Was bloody awesome." He held up his hand and she gave him a high-five. "I mean," he continued, "No-one's ever stood up to Regulus; especially not a girl. You should see how they all fawn over him!" he chortled. "It's ridiculous."

Hermione swallowed. "You mean, as ridiculous as all the girls who fawn over you?"

A big "Oooooh!" went around the table and people clutched their mouths and shook their hands, trying to hold their laughter in.

Sirius ignored them. "No, because I give them what they want, and Regulus ignores them. He's as stupid as he is an arse. Mind you, Slytherin girls aren't exactly lookers, but he can't do better."

Hermione had to chuckle at this. They continued lunch uninterrupted, at least until desert, when a shy third year came up to her and tapped her shoulder. "Miss Hermione?" the girl asked.

Hermione wiped her mouth on her napkin and turned. "Yes?" she asked sweetly.

The girl blushed. "Professor Dumbledore would like you to come to his office. He said that you would know the password and wishes to see you as soon as you finished eating, if possible."

Hermione nodded. "Thank you." she told the girl, who scampered off without anything else. She ate the rest of her cherry pudding and stood up. "Well, I better be off now." she said. "I don't want to keep Professor Dumbledore waiting."

Sirius stood up too. "I'll come with you. You never know when my brother might want to corner you."

She smiled. "I appreciate your offer, Sirius, but I think I can hold my own against him and don't need your help or protection. Besides, don't you have to give a group of girls what they want?" And as another round of "Oooooh" went around the table, Hermione smoothed her skirt and walked out the Great Hall, numerous pairs of eyes trailing her every move.

-o-O-o-

**So, things are progressing nicely, aren't they? I'm surprised by the length of this chapter. I never make them much more than 2000 words, usually.**

**Please drop a review. I truly enjoy them. You should know they make authors update faster, no?**

**Next chapter: Meeting with Dumbledore and what follows.**


	3. The Ambush

**Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters. Everything belongs to JK Rowling, and I'm merely allowed to play around with them. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Special thanks to _TheSpringLover_ for posting the first review! You guys better do what she does. Alright, now that that's said, enjoy! :)  
**

_Chapter 3_

-o-O-o-

Hermione arrived in front of the gargoyle that guarded Dumbledore's office and stopped. She looked around, checking to make sure that nobody had followed her nor could overhear the password. Fortunately, she seemed alone. "Liquorice Wand." she declared. The gargoyle leapt aside, revealing the familiar stairs that lead to the Headmaster's office. She climbed the spiral staircase until she stopped at the door. She gave a light knock.

"Come in." a voice said from the inside. She stepped inside, closing the door carefully behind her before turning to examine her surroundings. Unlike the rest of the castle, the Headmaster's office was very different from the one in her own timeline. Half of the Dark Magic detectors were missing, the desk was much more crowded with paperwork, bits of quills and lemon drops, and the Sorting Hat had less rips and tears than the last time Hermione had seen. But the most surprising change was Dumbledore himself. "Ah, Miss Granger, I've been expecting you." he exclaimed. "Please," he said, gesturing towards the plush armchairs in front of him, "Have a seat."

She walked over to where he was pointing and plopped down easily. She mentally nodded. This Dumbledore had nothing to do with the Dumbledore she knew. This one was bolder, had far more energy, was less wrinkly… To sum it up, he was much younger. Not just twenty years younger, no, but almost thirty. As if the war had taken so much energy from him that it had added another ten years to his already impressive lifespan.

"Well then," he started. "Let us begin."

She waited for him to speak, but apparently, he was doing the same. "Let us begin by what?" she asked, trying not to sound too insolent.

He merely chuckled. "Why, I should say, by the beginning, my dear." he crossed his legs. "Now… When are you from? What do you intend to do here? Can I assist you in any way?" He looked at her expectantly, his blue eyes twinkling with anticipation.

She sighed. "I am from 1996. I was being chased by…" she couldn't possibly use the term Death Eater, it might affect the timeline. "Someone," she admitted reluctantly. "And I happened to run in the storage room where the Timeturners were. I decided to go back in time a couple of hours, but then I lost my balance and fell. Next thing I knew, I was waking up here." She sighed and leaned back into her chair. "What I intend to do here? Find a way back. I can't possibly stay. I can't alter the timeline in any way because it might result in… I'm not even sure what it could result in, but it sure won't be pretty. The longer I stay, the more chances I have of changing something crucial, not even doing it on purpose!"

She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose for a bit, before Dumbledore's voice broke the silence. "You haven't answered my last question: Do you need my assistance, in any form possible."

She smiled slightly, her eyes still closed. "Do I need you assistance? No, I don't. Do I want it? Yes, I do." She opened her eyes once more, placing both of her hands on her lap. "Two will work faster than one, I guess."

He waited a couple of minutes, before nodding slightly. "I am afraid, Miss Granger, that Merlin's 17th law is formal: one cannot simply go to the future. As I have told you before, you can die, but you can't come back form the dead." Before she could interrupt, he held up his hand in a sign of silence and continued. "Besides, even if you do want to research for that, you are not going to do it all day. You need… Some sort of occupation. And if you wish to use the Hogwarts library, I suggest you resume classes here."

Hermione opened her mouth to object, but then though better of it. After all, didn't she need the Hogwarts library? It was certainly one of the best furnished in the whole of the United Kingdom, if not the best. Come to think of it, the Malfoys' was probably very extensive… As would be the Blacks'…

Slowly, she felt a plan come up in her mind. As a grin slowly spread on her face, Dumbledore asked: "What about your O.W.L.'s? Where will you stay during these holidays?"

Hermione looked up at him. "Surely you could arrange for me to pass them sometime during the beginning of the holidays. As for the stay, well… I was wondering if I could just stay here. I mean, it's safe, there's nobody to go blabbering my secrets to, and I could even get a part time job in Hogsmeade."

Dumbledore nodded. "It's settled then. I'll talk to the Minister and explain your, ah, misadventure." Seeing the look on her, face, he chuckled. "Not to worry, dear, I will tell him your cover story, he'll buy it."

"But, what about the Unspeakables? Won't they tell the Minister?" she asked, slightly worried.

Dumbledore chuckled again. "Miss Granger, one thing about the Unspeakables, is that they can't speak about what they see in the Department of Mysteries. They are under the Unbreakable Vow; it's part of the reason why they are called 'Unspeakables'. In any case, I'll try and arrange a job for you at the Three Broomsticks. I'll go to Gringotts, to set you an appointment so we can have a vault opened for you."

She nodded. "Like that I won't be totally broke when I graduate." she translated.

"Miss Granger," he smiled, "I couldn't have phrased it better." And with that, Hermione stood up and, being careful not to harm the armchair in any way, placed it back and walked out of the Headmaster's office.

-o-O-o-

As soon as she was back in the corridor, she sensed something was wrong. She moved her hand to draw her wand, but found herself unable to do so as she was thrown brutally against the opposite wall, face against the hard stone. Momentarily stunned, she heard a cold chuckle near her left ear. She felt something press on her windpipe and tried to struggle against it, but it only made it harder to breathe. "Well, well, well." the voice said. It belonged to a boy who, judging by the weight he was pressing on her back, was either very fat or very burly. "Not so bloody proud now that you don't have anyone to cover your back." He tightened the thing, which seemed to be his arm, against her throat and she gave a half choke. "You should know," he continued. "That nobody insults Black and gets away with it." He shifted slightly, and Hermione saw it as an opportunity. She needed him just a little more to the right… "Especially not a filthy little Mudblood like you." he hissed. His breath was putrid and for a second Hermione lost trail of what she wanted to do, before focusing again. "It's too bad that Dumbledore loses his new toy on its first day." he chuckled, and brought himself in the exact position she wanted him in.

She shoved her head backwards, hitting him squarely in the nose. He gave a howl of pain and took a step back, still holding her throat. She used the freeness of her legs to land a kick straight in his groin. He finally released her, doubling over in pain as she gulped in a large amount of air. She considered hexing him, but thought better of it, as he was now sporting a broken nose and practically writhing in agony. Instead, she settled for a warning. "If you come near me again," she hissed, putting as much venom in it as she could possibly manage. "I will positively kill you. Tell Black that if he wants to get back at me, he had better do the job himself and not let one of his idiotic mongrels do it for him."

She smoothed her robes and, just before she left, noticed a look of pure, burning fury in the boy's eyes. She ignored it and spun around, leaving him bleeding and whimpering in front of the headmaster's office.

-o-O-o-

Fortunately, no other bothersome dunderheads with bad intentions assaulted her and she managed to make her way to the Gryffindor Common Room in one piece. She entered it, and found most of the other fifth and sixth years there. All of them looked up at her when she arrived. Mary was the first to react. "Hermione, what happened to you?" she asked, obviously stressed.

Hermione glanced over in a nearby window, and saw there was something to be worried about in her appearance indeed. Her hair was worse than the usual bird nest she had, her neck was slightly bruised and she had quite a large amount of blood on the back of her head and neck. She sighed. "Got cornered when I got out of Dumbledore's office." she mumbled.

Mary ran over to her, while the Marauders and Lily followed. She took a better look at the new girl before gasping, both hands on her mouth. After a while, she pointed at Hermione's hair. "Is… is that…" she stuttered, unable to get a proper question out.

"Blood?" Hermione asked. Mary nodded slightly, her eyes very wide. "It is, but it's not mine."

There was a small silence, which Sirius broke, sounding oddly cheerful. "Blimey, Mione!" he exclaimed. "You weren't joking when you said you could handle yourself! I bet you didn't have to draw your wand!" He looked positively thrilled.

She winced. "Sirius Black, don't call me that."

He looked confused. "What?" he thought about it for a while. "Mione? I thought it was pretty cute." She shook her head. He grinned again. "Or would you prefer Hermy?" he asked before bursting out laughing, soon joined by James, who slapped him in the back.

Meanwhile, Mary was still as pale as a ghost. "Mary?" Hermione asked carefully. "Are you alright?" The girl stood there, unmoving, a horrified expression on her face. Hermione waved her hand in front of her eyes, but all that did was mad her weep.

"Oh, dear." Lily said. She turned to face Hermione. "We'll talk about this later, you'll have to report this incident. As prefect, I'll help you from now on. But right now," she looked at Mary, who was still sobbing helplessly. "I've got to take her to the Hospital Wing."

"What's wrong with her?" Hermione asked carefully.

Lily shook her head. "Last year, she got cursed by a bunch of Slytherins. Avery was one of them. It was very Dark Magic that." Lily shook her head. "She spent three whole weeks in the Hospital Wing. Since then, she hasn't been able to stand any form of physical violence, whether on her or not. When she sees it, she just bursts in hysterics and I have to bring her to Madam Pomfrey so she can have a Calming Drought." She shook her head again and began to lead the crying girl out of the Common Room.

Hermione turned back to the others, who were looking at her expectantly. "Erm…" she started awkwardly. "It's not that I don't appreciate your company, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to take my leave… Washing this mess out of my hair is going to take a while."

The Marauders blushed slightly, all except Sirius who just grinned. "Can I join you?" Hermione rolled her eyes and started to climb the stairs. "Please?" he called after her.

As she climbed the last few paces left to her dormitories, Hermione heard Remus say: "I don't think she appreciates your kind of chivalry, Sirius." But it wasn't until she had closed the door behind her that she began to giggle at the truth of his statement.

-o-O-o-

**That's more like it! Feel free to drop a comment or two in the little review box just below! I love knowing what you think! Who do you think it was that assaulted Hermione? What do you think will, or should, happen next? I'll reply to them (if you sign in, of course).**

**Next chapter: More trouble, planning and research for Hermione.**


	4. Remus and the Library

**Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters. Everything belongs to JK Rowling, and I'm merely allowed to play around with them. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**I'd just like to thank all of my readers and followers, old and new, with special thanks to _TheSpringLover_ for reviewing every chapter. :) Now, on with the story.  
**

_Chapter 4_

-o-O-o-

The next day, Hermione woke up with a splitting headache for the third time in a row. When Lily had returned from the Hospital Wing, she had insisted that Hermione go and check for signs of concussion, but Hermione had refused, point blank, but now wished she had gone.

Lily had also argued that she should go to the Head of House or the Headmaster to report the incident, but Hermione had declined, insisting that, after a very refreshing shower, she felt no need to report anything and that she was sure it wouldn't happen again. Tired after almost dragging poor Mary to and from Madam Pomfrey's, Lily had not put up much of a fight, much to Hermione's contentment.

She stretched and groaned, rubbing the place on her throat which had bruised slightly the day before. She sat up, cracking her knuckles, and looked around. Everybody seemed to be asleep. She got dressed and decided on having breakfast while no one could annoy her.

Tip-toeing around the Common Room, she glanced at the great grandfather clock that stood near the chimney. It read half past six. _Great,_ Hermione thought. _Like that I'll be able to pick a book up at the library just after._

She found her way to the Great Hall easily. Strangely enough, there was more activity at this time here than back in her timeline. She was alone on the Gryffindor table. The Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables were near empty too, but the Slytherin table seemed to be much more filled. In fact, almost all of the eldest boys seemed to be having breakfast early that day. Hermione snorted in a cup of coffee as she tried to imagine Draco Malfoy waking up early. That guy was always late for class.

She looked up at the Slytherin table once more and saw someone staring at her. She identified him quickly: it was the guy that had attacked her the previous night. He bent over and whispered something in the boy on his right's ear. He looked up and Hermione's blood turned cold. It was Regulus.

He made a face that was between a sneer and a scowl, but Hermione got the message: His blood was boiling as much as hers right now. She wanted nothing more than to curse the pair of them, right here and right now, but didn't, because she didn't want to snoop dawn to their level. _Better an honourable Gryffindor than a sneaky Slytherin_, she thought. So instead, she just raised her eyebrows tauntingly, finished her mug of coffee and stood up, smirking at the revolted look on their faces, and left to go to the library.

-o-O-o-

The Library itself hadn't changed much, in Hermione's point of view. It was still a bunch of shelves with heaps of books and dust on them. Madam Pince hadn't changed either; she was still the strict old lady Hermione remembered from where she came from.

The Library was just as furnished as the one from 1997, Hermione had noticed, relieved. She quickly went over to the ones one time travel. They weren't much help, though, as she had already read most of them in her third year. Besides, none of them spoke about going more than a couple of hours back. According to one, the longest a person had ever gone back was just over four days.

Hermione groaned. Days?! She was speaking of years, even decades in her case. Not one of these bloody books could ever give her much help. She held her head in both hands, despairing.

Suddenly, she heard a soft voice from behind her. "Hermione?" Her head shot up at the sound of the new arriving person. It was Remus. He looked at her, a concerned expression on his features. "Are you all right?"

She stood up very fast, hiding the books she had been reading from him. "Yeah, yeah, sure!" she replied hastily. _Liar_, a small voice in the back of her head scolded. "I was just reading, because I woke up early." It was partly true.

"Oh…" he seemed unconvinced by her explanation.

She noticed the books he was holding. "What are these?" she asked, but before she got a glimpse, he hid them behind his back, sporting slightly pink cheeks. She tried looking at him but he avoided eye contact. "Look Remus," she started, but he still refused to look at her. "I won't tell anyone you've got strangely suspicious books and behaviour if you don't tell I've got suspiciously strange behaviour and books. Alright?"

He turned and looked straight into his eyes, as if judging her sincerity. Finally, he nodded. "Alright." he gave in.

"Brilliant!" she said, giving him a dazzling smile. "Now, was there anything you'd like to tell me?"

"Erm…" he thought about it for a while. "Yeah, see, tomorrow, there's a Hogsmeade outing, and I was wondering if you would come. I mean, not with me." he blushed deeper, then realised what he'd said. "I mean, yes with me, but not as a date. I'm not saying I wouldn't like to, or that you're ugly or anything. Don't make me say what I didn't say. I mean, I didn't say I _would_ like to anyway… Did I?"

Hermione giggled. "No, you didn't."

He blushed a little more. "I mean, it's going to be fun, there'll be Peter," Hermione cringed slightly, but Remus seemed not to have noticed. " Sirius, one of Sirius' bimbos, James, Lily if he can convince her, me… and you, if you'd like to come." He looked at his feet. "We're just gonna… Have a Butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks or something. Although I doubt James and Sirius will be that reasonable." He mumbled the last part, which made Hermione laugh.

"It's true," she said. "These two can never stay out of trouble."

Remus nodded frantically, smile back in place. "So it's a yes?" he asked, sounding slightly hopeful.

She nodded. "I just have to go and check if it's alright with Dumbledore."

He grinned "He'll say yes. He always does." He looked around, once more clutching his books to his chest. "So," he started, sounding much more at ease. "I guess I'll see you around, then, Mione."

She groaned. "Oh, not you too." she mumbled.

He laughed. "What can I say, I am a Marauder." And with that, a cheeky grin and sparkly eyes, Remus left, leaving a very bewildered Hermione behind him.

-o-O-o-

So Hermione found herself once more in Dumbledore's office, in the very same plush armchair as the day before. "Ah, Miss Granger." the Headmaster sighed, he twinkle in his eyes still there. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

She cleared her throat. "I'd like a permission form to go to Hogsmeade tomorrow, please sir."

He looked at her. "But, my dear, I am afraid that your guardian is the one responsible for giving out these notes." he tried to explain gently.

"That would be you." she retorted. "Since I am here I have no family whatsoever to count on, and I am staying at Hogwarts during my holidays. Since you are the watching over the building, it makes you my guardian."

He smiled. "Well, if you put it like that," he pulled out a piece of parchment and scribbled on it for a few minutes before handing it to her. "Just give this to Professor McGonagall as you leave tomorrow."

She took the piece of parchment gingerly from the older wizard's hand. "Thank you." she said, smiling.

He chuckled. "If I may ask, Miss Granger, what do you intend to do in Hogsmeade?"

She smiled. "I'm just going to hang out with… friends." She hesitated on the term, as she had known some of them already, back where she came from.

"Am I right to suppose that you were already friends in your own timeline?" he asked, crossing his hands on his lap.

"Not exactly." she answered. His look pressed her to develop, but she refused. "I'm sorry, Professor, but I can't risk telling you any more yet. It might endanger the way things are supposed to be set." There was an awkward pause, which Hermione disliked enormously. Finally, she broke the silence. "When am I due to pass my O.W.L.'s sir?" she asked politely.

He sighed. "Around mid-July, to give you a little time to revise. Also, I have talked to Madam Rosmerta about you part time job. She has agreed to give you a serving role in the afternoons as well as a cleaning one after the closing, from Mondays to Fridays, not including Wednesdays. You will be paid two Galleons a day, if, I quote, 'the work has bloody well been done'."

She nodded. "Thank you sir." she said. It wasn't much, but it could keep her afloat for the time being.

"Your appointment at Gringotts has also been taken care of. I will accompany you, just after your exams, so we can discuss the opening of your vault with the goblins." She nodded in acknowledgement. He looked at her intensely, and she found it fit to leave. She pushed her armchair gently back and headed towards the door. Just as she opened it, he called out to her. "Miss Granger?"

She turned around. "Yes sir?" she asked politely, not really wanting to hear what he was going to say next.

He stared unblinkingly at her with his sparkling bright blue eyes for a moment, but just as she was about to turn back again, he declared: "I would have appreciated it if you had followed Miss Evan's advice and gone and talked to some one about what happened yesterday, as you left. Please try to do that next time."

_There won't be a next time_, she though, but instead, she answered obediently. "I'll do just that sir." before turning around and leaving the office once more. Thankfully, no one bothered her as she made her way back to Gryffindor Tower this time.

-o-O-o-

She was reading in front of the Common Room fire when someone poked her in the shoulder. She was so deeply entranced by the content of the pages she didn't notice and it wasn't until the person cleared his throat that she looked up. "Oh, hey James." she smiled.

"Wow." he said, grinning. "Never thought I'd meet someone else who likes books so much." he remarked.

"Really?" she teased. "Who's the other person?" He shoved his hands down his pocket, grinning suggestively. She rolled her eyes. "You're joking."

He laughed. "Yes, I am. I couldn't like a book to save my life." He shook his head. "Anyway, Remus told me you went to ask Professor Dumbledore for a Hogsmeade permission form. How did it go?"

"Oh, relatively well." she answered vaguely. "I've got it, if that's what you mean."

He shifted to his other legs. "No more trouble, I hope?" he asked, and behind all the jokes and the mischief in his eyes, she could see genuine concern.

"Nope." she reassured him. "Absolutely none."

"Oh!" he said, sounding relieved. "Well… I guess I'll see you tomorrow then." he said, and turned around to go to his dormitory.

"Yeah, see you there." she replied softly, before remembering something. "Oh, and, James?" he stopped in his tracks and turned around, a questioning look in his hazel eyes. "Lily, huh?" The blush now forming on his cheeks was all she needed to confirm her suspicions. She smiled up at him sweetly. "I'll see what I can do."

James grinned broadly. "Thanks, Mione, you're the best!" he exclaimed, hoping down the stairs to peck her cheek, before scampering back up. Hermione was so surprised that she didn't even scold him for the use of her nickname. She tried getting back to reading her book, but found herself unable to do so, as she kept reaching towards the spot where his had kissed her.

Decidedly, she slammed her book and vowed to do whatever was in her power to help James conquer Lily. He deserved it.

-o-O-o-

**I hadn't originally planned the scene between Hermione and James, but as I stared at my unfinished chapter, it just popped up in my mind and I thought it would be cute. Please leave me a review! I adore those almost as much as chocolate. What do you think the book Remus had was about? Will something unusual happen at Hogsmeade, and, if so, what?  
**

**Next chapter: The Hogsmeade outing, part 1.**


	5. Tact

**Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters. Everything belongs to JK Rowling, and I'm merely allowed to play around with them. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**There's a poll on my profile, for those who didn't know, to pick the eventual pairing for TRP. Feel free to vote! :) My usual thanks to my readers, followers and reviewers, _TheSpringLover and MissMaryLiz(_who reviewed the last chapter)!  
**

_Chapter 5_

-o-O-o-

"Hermione?" a voice on her right asked. The girl in question groaned slightly and pulled her covers over her head. She heard a sweet laugh and decided to take a peek. It was Mary. "You're so lazy it's unbelievably funny." she declared, before starting to giggle madly again.

Hermione sat up, stretching her arms as far as they would go. "What's so important?" she mumbled, rubbing her eyes with the palms of her hands. She hadn't slept that well; still slightly giddy when she climbed in her bed, it had taken her a while before she could calm down and sink in deep slumber.

"Have you forgotten already?" Mary asked exasperatedly, shaking her head. She was dressed in a tight blue blouse and a cute black skirt that was too short to belong to the school uniform. "It's the Hogsmeade outing! Your first one, with that too! Aren't you excited?"

Hermione stood up hurriedly. "Crap!" she swore. "I don't know what to wear!" she dashed towards the bathroom and desperately tried to brush her hair, to no avail. She ended up with her brush stuck in her wild curls, when Mary came in.

She gasped. "Hermione!" she ran over to her and slowly detangled the wooden brush from the bird's nest that Hermione called her hair. Once that was done, she asked: "Why don't you try smoothing it down?" Hermione grumbled something. "Sorry, didn't quite catch that." Mary said softly.

"Because nothing works on this." she said, gesturing to her head.

Mary shook her head. "At least one thing works on every hair, Hermione. We just have to find what works on yours."

Hermione thought about it for a while. "Sleekeasy's Hair Potion works. But it takes way too much time to put on."

Mary tapped her chin for a couple of seconds, before smiling suddenly, her eyes sparkling. "Wait here." she said, and she dashed out of the bathroom. Hermione heard a little bit of shuffling, before Mary barged back in a spray in hand. "This," she held the spray up. "Is a recipe o my grandmother's, and it acts just like Sleekeasy's… but it's much easier to apply." She Walked over to Hermione and started spraying the potion all over her hair. When it was covered by a copious amount, she started massaging Hermione's s scalp and hair, as to let it sink in. After a couple of minutes, she stopped and said: "Now, all you need to do is rinse it."

Surprised but happy, Hermione waited for Mary to leave the room before stripping and stepping in the shower. She rinsed the potion which, surprisingly, had an innocent smell of violets. She stepped out and wrapped herself in a towel, while she heard a knock on the door. "Come in." Hermione called out, and Mary stepped inside the steam filled room, some clothes in hand. She stepped back out and Hermione dressed, wrapping a towel around her hair, before going back out. She was wearing a short sleeved white blouse with a navy skirt that came down around half of her thigh. As soon as she was out, Mary bustled over to her, unwrapping Hermione's hair from the towel. She grabbed the discarded hairbrush and began to smooth her hair. Surprisingly, no particular knot offered any resistance whatsoever.

When Hermione's hair was smooth, Mary pulled out her wand and began do dry her hair with magic. When she was done, Hermione's hair was as straight and soft as it had been the day of the Yule Ball. "Wow." she said to no one in particular, catching of piece of her hair and examining it. It was slightly longer than she remembered, almost going to her waist.

"I know right." was Mary's reply. She stared at the other girl for a moment before asking: "Can I braid your hair?"

Hermione was bewildered. "Yeah, sure." she answered. Mary looked positively beaming. She wasted no time in grabbing her hair and twisting it in numerous ways, so that a couple of minutes later, Hermione was left with a French braid, with just a couple of strands escaping to frame her face.

Both girls giggling madly, they left the Common Room to have breakfast. Both of them knew how a lot of people would be surprised by this change. And both of them would enjoy it dearly.

-o-O-o-

As they sat down at Gryffindor table, predictably, most people stopped talking and started staring at them. Sirius was the first to speak. "Blimey Mione," he gasped. "I knew you wanted to impress me, but that is just… Ka Boom! Babe, I never knew you were that gorgeous!"

Hermione looked up at him. "Don't call me 'babe', Sirius. I'm not one of your fawning fan girls."

He grinned. "But you're okay with me calling you Mione, then?" She sighed. "Cool! Hey, you have got to go to Hogsmeade with us! I want to para-"

"Finish that sentence and you're a dead man, Sirius Black." She shook her head. "If sleeking my hair has that kind of effect on you, I might just never want to do it again." she mumbled

"No!" Hermione looked up, but it wasn't Sirius who had spoken. It was Remus. And right now, he was beet red. "I mean, it wouldn't be nice to yourself, now, would it?" he elaborated doubtfully.

James grinned. "Right, Moony, we totally believe your motives." he taunted, earning himself a punch in the arm. Hermione said nothing, just continued sipping her coffee.

Just then, Marlene arrived, grinning from ear to ear. "Hey, Sirius." she purred, plopping herself next to him.

He grinned too. "Hey Marlene." he said. He buttered a toast and handed it to her. "Want one?" he asked, but she just laughed.

"Of course not!" she squeaked. "It's not fat free!" She giggled once more and left, swinging her hips exaggeratingly. Sirius turned back to his toast and shook his head, grinning slightly.

"She's dumb!" Mary accused him.

"Maybe." he said, putting the toast down. "But she's a great shag." Both Mary and Hermione blushed slightly at this, while James took Sirius' toast and stuffed it in his mouth.

Remus cleared his throat, his skin colour having returned to normal. "So, Hermione." he said as she poured herself a second cup of coffee. She was going to need it after a night like this. "If you weren't trying to impress our dear Sirius, what brought this on?" he asked.

"Honestly?" she asked. "I just couldn't brush my hair and Mary meddled. Not that I'm ungrateful, though, not at all!" she added quickly after seeing the murderous glare the other Gryffindor had sent her.

"Right." was all he answered. He suddenly seemed very interested in a fly that was hovering above his bacon. The rest of the breakfast passed peacefully enough, although Hermione could feel Slytherins' glares bore through the back of her head.

-o-O-o-

"Your permission form, Miss Granger." Professor McGonagall asked her. She pulled out the note Professor Dumbledore had given her and handed it to her Head of House. Her eyes skimmed through it for a couple of seconds before she gave her a stiff nod and let her pass.

As soon as they were inside the village, they formed their group back again. The four Marauders were there, as were Alice, Mary, Marlene and Hermione. Sirius was grinning broadly, Marlene hanging on his arm. "So," he started. "Where are we going?"

"Madam Pudifoot's!" Marlene squealed, making everyone cringe.

Sirius turned to her. "Sorry babe, but if we are, they're tagging along too." he said, not sounding sorry at all.

She pulled her bottom lip out, in a poor imitation of a cute pout. Hermione caught James' look, who fake-puked in his hand. Hermione giggled. "Please, Siri-pooh! I want to goooo!" she begged.

Sirius sighed. "Let's go to the Three Broomsticks and then talk about it." The little group started heading in the direction of the bar, Marlene still skipping happily, clinging on Sirius' arm like a leach. Hermione slowed down a little, to walk next to Remus.

"She's such an idiot, I can't understand how Sirius stands her." she whispered in his ear.

He nodded. "I know right. She has an IQ equivalent to my shoe size." he whispered back.

Hermione giggled, as an idea came up in her mind. "Let's play a prank on them." she suggested.

He looked confused. "What kind of prank?" he asked.

She grinned. "Just play along." And without any more information, she took his hand and pulled him to the front of the walk, directly behind Marlene and Sirius. "But Remy-pooh," she started wailing. "I want to go to Madam Pudifoot's so I can snog you senseless and choke you with my tongue!"

Remus was trying hard not to laugh. "I know, babe, but you've got to understand that I don't love you and only enjoy shagging you!" he said dramatically.

She clutched his arms with both of hers. "No! You told me you were not a selfish bastard who only cares about himself and that you loved me!" she whimpered theatrically, batting her eyelids. The whole group had stopped and was now staring at them, most of them desperately trying to hold in their laughter.

Remus stared at her, before declaring: "I lied."

"Nooooo!" Hermione wailed, falling to the ground, dragging Remus with her. She rolled them over so that she was on top of him. "I feel so stupid!" she declared, mock-wiping tears from her eyes.

"Babe, I have to tell you something." Remus said, cupping her face in his hands. He waited a few moments for the stress to settle in before he told her: "You _are _stupid."

That was too much for the both of them. They burst out laughing simultaneously, as did most of the people surrounding them. The only quiet ones were Sirius and Marlene. The former as pale as a ghost, while the latter was red with fury. "You're just jealous!" she yelled at them as they helped each other stand back up. "Jealous because MY Siri-pooh loves me and not you!"

"Err… Marlene?" Sirius asked, trying to pry her arm away. "I, err… I might have let that slip in the heat of the moment…"

She stared at him, clearly not understanding the situation. "So…" she whimpered. "So you don't love me?" Tears were starting to show up in her eyes, threatening to spill.

"Err, no." Sirius declared bluntly.

She immediately let go of him. "So you just used me for sex is that it?" she asked, weeping.

"Erm, yeah, I did." Sirius admitted tactlessly.

She slapped him so hard across the cheek that his head snapped sideways. "You bastard!" she bellowed.

"Hey, that's my line!" Hermione interrupted. Marlene said nothing more and simply stormed off. Once more, Hermione and Remus burst into fits of giggles. "You were amazing, Remus, absolutely amazing." she complimented him.

"Me?" he asked. "I was nothing compared to you!" he laughed. "Besides, you're the one who came up with the idea."

"So it's to you that I owe this?" a very annoyed Sirius said, pointing to his very red cheek.

"It would appear so." Hermione told him cheekily, hiding behind Remus.

He seemed to think about it for a while, before simply shrugging. "Then again, I can't make you pay for it, as she was really getting on my nerves." He turned around and headed for the bar.

"By the way, Sirius," Remus called after his best friend. "You really have to learn about a thing called _tact_. It enables you to keep your girlfriends longer."

The whole group was in hysterics by then, even Mary and Alice who, until then, had been pretty quiet about it. Even Sirius himself was grinning. "Well, dear Moony, when you manage to get yourself a girl, come back and give me advice. But until then, so long, you shy _girl_!"

Remus' smile faltered. "Take that back!" he shouted after his friend, who started running towards the bar. He sprinted off as well.

He caught up with him just at the entrance, and started ruffling his hair, holding his head in a lock between his arm and chest. Sirius looked positively appalled. "My hair!" he gasped. "Moony, stop, it's not funny! You're screwing my perfect hairstyle!"

"Take it back." Remus repeated, sounding as though he was thoroughly enjoying himself. The others caught up just then.

"Okay! Okay! I give in! Oh, Moony, dear Moony, you very manly man! You've probably got hair all over your chest and legs and-"

"Okay, that's enough." Remus decided, letting go of Sirius, who immediately went to check himself out in a nearby window.

"Sirius, get a hold on yourself." James teased, slapping his friend in the back. Sirius gave a noise between a growl and a groan, and gave up on making his hair look better.

Sulking, he followed the laughing group of friends inside the bar, whispering to Hermione, who was closest to him: "I lied. I've seen Remus naked, and he doesn't have a hair on his whole body."

-o-O-o-

***Sigh* Sirius will be Sirius. Please leave a review, I like those. And you'd better, because I'm not updating this weekend if I don't get more than 2 reviews for this chapter. Still feeling stubborn? See you Monday, then!  
**

**The next chapter will have more action in it. I promise. That one was more of a fun filler to prepare you. I'm not saying any more! **

**Next chapter: The Hogsmeade outing, part 2.**


	6. Arcturus

**Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters. Everything belongs to JK Rowling, and I'm merely allowed to play around with them. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**I went to sleep Friday night and when I woke up, I was like "Hey, I wonder what my readers are doing." So I went to check my e-mails and was totally blown out of my mind by the number of new follows and favourites. Seriously, guys, where did you all come from? Ka Boom! Anyway, thanks to you all, readers, reviwers, follows and favourites, you mean the world to me. :) Thanks to you, I update today! Now, on with the story!  
**

_Chapter 6_

-o-O-o-

As Hermione passed the door of the Three Broomsticks, a strong smell of alcohol hit her. Sirius stopped for a second, breathed in deeply and sighed. "Hah! The smell of the essence of life…" All of them rolled their eyes and sat down at a rather large table in the back of the room.

A waitress soon approached them. She looked in her early twenties, with dirty blond hair tied in a messy bun at the back of her head. Her smile looked suspiciously false as she asked: "What will it be, ladies and gentlemen?" with a sickly sweet voice.

Sirius grinned. "Rosie, dear, there is no need to go with the formalities." he told her, leaning back in his chair.

"Sirius!" she gasped, obviously surprised by his presence, before putting her smile back into place. It looked more genuine now, though. "You'll take the usual, I presume?" she asked.

He laughed boisterously. "Obviously! When have I ever taken something else?"

She giggled slightly and turned to the others. "Will it be Butterbeer for the rest of you?" she asked. There were slight murmurs of "Alright", "Fine" and, in James' case, "I wonder if Lily likes Butterbeer…", as Rosie, which Hermione strongly suspected was the younger version of Madam Rosemerta, counted the rest of them, before heading back towards the bar.

Hermione turned to Sirius. "Just out of curiosity, what's the usual?" she asked.

He merely grinned cheekily. "You'll see." he declared, before giving a slight chuckle. Remus, James and Peter rolled their eyes.

Hermione had a strange feeling that told her that this 'usual' was probably something very unreasonable, very stupid, very childish… Very Sirius-ish, basically.

When Rosemerta came back, it was with six bottles of Butterbeer and a huge pitcher, full to the brim with Firewhiskey. "You can't be serious!" Hermione shrieked when Rosemerta placed the pitcher in front of Sirius.

He laughed again. "Actually, that's my name." he said, laughing at his own joke.

Ignoring the pun, she declared. "You won't be able to drink that and return to school sober." She shook her head.

His eyes sparkled. "You want a bet?" he asked. "Five Galleons that I can drink that _and another one_ and be more sober than you at the end of the outing."

She shook her head. "I don't have five Galleons on me." she told him seriously. In fact, she didn't have five Galleons at all, but she wasn't going to tell him that.

"Fine." he said. "If you win, I give you five Galleons. If _I_ win, which I most certainly will, you have to give me a kiss." He smirked at her evilly. "And not just any kiss: I want a full blown snog, alright?"

She rolled her eyes. "Fine, I'll take you bet."

"Deal?" he asked to make sure, holding out his hand.

She grasped it and shook it. "Deal." she declared firmly. Sirius was grinning from ear to ear.

"Well," James said. "Now that it's over, I suggest we toast. To Hermione's arrival!" He said, holding his drink up.

"To Hermione!" they all said, holding their drinks up, before taking sips.

"To me, I guess." she said, taking a large gulp of her Butterbeer.

They put their drinks back on the table, and James started, licking his lips. "So… Hermione, when I first saw you, you thought my name was Harry… Why's that?"

She sighed. "Harry was my best friend, back where I came from. He looked a lot like you… He had messy black hair, glasses…"

"So what made you realise I wasn't him?" James asked, out of pure curiosity.

She smiled sadly. "He had green eyes. Bright emerald green eyes that inspired faith and courage… He was a hero, and he was like a brother to me."

Peter spoke up. "Why don't you bring him here, I'd sure like to meet him."

She stared at him for a while, before replying with an emotionless voice. "He's gone." It was a simple sentence, yet it meant so much.

Sirius took a large gulp from his pitcher. "Oh well… To Harry!" he said, and they all toasted to her unknown friend.

-o-O-o-

"No, no, no… You got it all wrong Prongs…" Sirius slurred drunkenly. Hermione was feeling as though she was going to win the bet. He was only half-way through his second pitcher and totally intoxicated. "It's the Weasley… who goes to the library… and he says: 'Can I 'burrow' this book?' Get it? 'Because… Because the Weasleys live at the Burrow!" He said before bursting out laughing.

James giggled giddily too, being slightly tipsy himself. They had all asked for a small glass of Firewhiskey when Mary had suggested a toast to the end of the school year. They had all drunk it, except for Alice, who had left earlier with a blushing Frank Longbottom. Sirius had already been slightly drunk then, but by then, he was completely wasted.

"Hey, hey Prongs!" he giggled. "You know what else is funny? It's that… you love Lily, but she doesn't love you, when I can get any girl I want!" He burst out laughing once more. "And you," he pointed at Peter. "You're a sneaky little rat, you know. You have to transform to go to the girls' dormitories, when they invite me in!" His boisterous laughter was seriously getting on her nerves. Besides, he was the only one laughing. "And Moony!" he shrieked, gulping down some more Firewhiskey, sloshing a large amount on his shirt. "He's really funny! I compare him to a girl all the time, because every month, girls get their period, and Moony, every month he-"

"_Stupefy_!" Hermione yelled, pointing her wand at Sirius. He suddenly stopped in his sentence, freezing in space as his head simply fell on the table, knocking his pitcher over. Remus and James were as white as ghosts, staring at their best-friend who had almost, although not on purpose, divulged a secret that was not his to tell. Slowly, their heads turned to Hermione, who still had her wand out and pointed across the table. "I…" she stuttered. "I… I gotta go." she said suddenly, rising so fast that her chair toppled over. She quickly walked out of the bar, numerous pairs of eyes staring at her.

Once she was out, she noticed how the sky was slightly dark. It was still reasonably warm, though, and so Hermione set off, intending to go back to Hogwarts. She stopped in her tracks, though, when she became aware that she was being watched.

A gust of wind hit then, and suddenly she was not so warm anymore. She turned around to face a dark hallway, and through the shadows of the walls, she could make out the shape of a person. That person seemed to have realised she was watching him, because it walked out of the alley and into the sun. Hermione nearly gasped.

It was Regulus Black.

He was smiling. In fact, no, he was merely sneering, but not at her. His light grey eyes glinted with mischief and the way he stood seemed to portray great amusement. He was wearing a thick black velvet robe, under which he seemed to be sporting Muggle clothing: a grey shirt and a pair of black jeans. "Like what you see?" he asked playfully as she noticed she had been staring. "Not that I can blame you, of course. I _am_ devilishly handsome."

"Yes," she agreed. "Devilish seems to be an adequate adjective to describe you."

He chuckled. "I didn't come here to bicker, you know." he added after a while.

She tensed. "Really?" She clutched her wand tighter inside her palm.

He took a step towards her. "No need to look so afraid." he taunted.

"I'm not afraid." she answered, and it was true. She had seen worse than him. She just felt more in security with her wand held close.

He arched an eyebrow delicately. "Oh really?" He shook his head and took another tantalising step towards her. "In any case, I came here to thank you."

"Thank me?" She was truly surprised at this statement. "For what?"

"Why, for the stunt you just pulled in the bar." he explained, nodding towards the building in question. "I daresay, my brother needed someone to show him his place. I am rather disappointed it was you, though. I was hoping for someone a little… cleaner."

"Jerk." Hermione muttered under her breath. That guy could say a compliment without referring to blood purity. He seemed to have heard, though, because a second later he had thrown his head back and was laughing wholeheartedly.

Another gust of wind broke out, then, making Hermione shiver again. Regulus looked at her for a while, as if debating with himself, before he walked over to her, taking off his cloak and placing it on her shoulders. She stopped shivering immediately.

His cloak was very warm, as were his hands when they grazed her shoulders. "Why are you doing this?" she asked suspiciously.

He shrugged. "I have manners. Besides, I'm not entirely evil; I do enjoy taking care of dirty little lost kittens like yourself." he smirked.

"Git." she said, this time audibly. He smirked.

They stayed like that for a while before he broke the silence. "You were on you way to Hogwarts?" he asked her.

Her head shot up. "Yes! Oh, god, I've probably missed my carriage-"

"Yes, you have." he told her simply.

She gasped. "You've done it on purpose, haven't you?" she demanded, hands on her hips.

He smirked, looking up at the sky. "Maybe." he taunted.

"Ugh!" she cried out. "I can't believe I actually thought you were halfway decent for a second! I'm so foolish!"

He was still staring at the sky. "No, you're just a Gryffindor." he answered, as if it was something elementary. "Dear lord, looks like I'll have to walk you back, then." he declared, looking back at her.

"No!" she cried, outraged. "I've had enough of manipulating for today! I am walking home alone and going to bed." she declared, stomping her foot to prove her point.

He arched an eyebrow. "I'm afraid that if you won't let me, I'll have to stalk you." he said simply, as if there was imply no problem whatsoever with stalking young girls that late at night.

Her eyes widened. "You wouldn't." she growled menacingly.

He stepped closer so he was towering over her. "I would." He looked straight into her eyes. "You know I would." he added softly. There was no hint of menace in his voice, no venom, but no joking either.

She glared at him for a couple of minutes. "Fine." she gave in. "Just… Let's get out of here."

"For once, I agree with you." he said, and they set off towards Hogwarts. They were both very silent, not only because they had nothing to talk about, but because neither of them had the will to break this non-verbal truce between them. Regulus had thrown his head back again and was now staring at the stars. When they were about half-way, he inhaled to start speaking. Hermione braced herself for whatever insult he had found to hurl and her, but instead, all he asked was: "Do you know a lot about stars?"

She was slightly surprised at his question but answered nevertheless: "Not too much, they remind me of Divination." she explained.

There was another pause, during which he still stared at the now very dark sky, before he declared. "I know quite a bit about them. This one, for example," he pointed at a rather bright star. "Is called Sirius. The Dog Star…" he laughed. "Rather fitting, don't you think? Although, he was never quite that bright." She giggled slightly. "That one," he pointed to another. "Is one of my favourites." They were very close to Hogwarts, then, already inside the grounds. "I was named after it, you see?"

She considered making a joke about him narcissism, but instead just asked. "Is it call Regulus, then?"

He turned to her. "No." he answered softly. "It's called Arcturus." Seeing her puzzled expression, he developed. "It's my middle name." She nodded understandingly.

"It sounds good together." she said, trying to make a compliment.

He smirked. "I know, right?" he joked. Although, Hermione was not entirely sure it was a joke. She shook her head, but his eyes never left her face. They were entering the castle when he finally asked. "What's _your _middle name?"

"Jean." she replied, starting to climb the stairs. "Hermione Jean Granger."

He turned his attention back to where he was walking. When they neared the Gryffindor entrance, he said. "It sounds good." She was positively shocked. He turned back to her with a huge smirk on his face. "For a Mudblood." he finished.

She actually smiled at the insult. "You nearly had me there, Black_" she declared, before starting to laugh.

He was still smirking. "You should have known better, Granger." he replied, before turning around and stalking off.

It was then that she remembered something. "Black!" she called out, and he stopped to turn around, giving her a puzzled look. She jogged a little to come up to him, before taking off his cloak and handing it back to him. As it changed hands, Hermione took a whiff of it, and was surprised to find it subtly perfumed. She had expected a pompous arse like him to literally cover his cloak with the most expensive fragrance in the world, but he hadn't.

Before she let go of the cloak, she got a glimpse of his eyes. They were no longer deeply repulsed by her very existence. Instead, they were merely curious. Once he had his cloak back, he gave her a curt nod and left, leaving a very confused Hermione in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady.

Later that night, Hermione kept her word. She directly went to bed. But as she tossed and turned in her sheets, an idea formed in her mind; she still wanted to go back to her time, and to do so, she needed sources she hadn't yet checked. Sources which were not necessarily legal or Light Magic… She needed a source like the Black family library. She smirked as her last coherent though formed in her mind.

It was time to befriend Regulus Black.

-o-O-o-

**Well, that's what I call an action packed chapter! I will admit I have a thing for Regulus... Have had one since OoTP... :p Which of you like a drunken Sirius? Did you expect what was going to happen in this chapter? What do you think will/should happen next?**

**Please leave a review, they make me write faster. Special thanks to _TheSpringLover_, _MissMaryLiz_ and _Smithback_ for reviewing! You guys rock! :)  
**

**Although, I might as well tell you that I'm not updating tomorrow. Sunday is my day off, the day where I write loads of chapters for the week. :) You can't complain, though, not mant writers update daily like I do.  
**

**Next chapter: Last day and departure.**


	7. Mangy Mutt

**Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters. Everything belongs to JK Rowling, and I'm merely allowed to play around with them. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**As usual, thanks to _TheSpringLover_ and _MissMaryLiz_ for reviewing! The rest of you better do what they do! Now, on with the story... And don't hate me guys. :p  
**

_Chapter 7_

-o-O-o-

Hermione woke up early again the next morning, feeling very monotonous, almost robotic. She wondered why that was for a long time, until she realised what day it was. She was sipping her coffee quietly when she came to that realisation: it was the last day before the holidays and the others were all leaving the tomorrow.

She also came to the realisation that she was going to be very lonely for the next two months. Busy and taken, but lonely. After all, she had her appointment with the goblins, her work at the Three Broomsticks and her O.W.L.'s to pass again, much to her regret.

She therefore started the day very moodily. To her cure her grumpiness, she took a trip to the library after her breakfast finished. She didn't even glare at the Slytherins as she left the Great Hall.

Once in the library, she felt much better. She breathed in the scent of books with her eyes closed and when she opened them, she was smiling. She picked a book out of a shelf randomly and opened it to the first page. _Most ancient Pureblood Houses and Their History_, the cover read. The first chapter was on the Black family.

She was so engrossed in the book that she didn't notice the arrival of four figures, hiding behind a bookcase. They deliberated quietly for a few minutes before one of them stepped out, irritated at having to be the spokesperson. He ruffled his raven hair a little and advanced awkwardly towards the reading girl. "Err… 'Mione?" he asked.

She looked up from her book and the boy. "Oh, hey Sirius." she greeted him when she recognised him. He looked very stressed, as if something was bothering him. She wondered what it was for some time, until she remembered the thing he almost let slip the day before.

He gulped down hard. "Look, I'm really sorry about yesterday." he started. "I was totally wasted and I said some stupid stuff because I was trying to prove myself, to show you I was tough and… well, I ended up being really mean to James and Peter and… Oh, god, Remus!" he looked really ashamed of himself, and he started biting his knuckle. "I nearly said some awful stuff about him, and, I swear, if you hadn't cursed me, it would have meant the end of him." he released a dry sob, and she couldn't help herself.

She put her book down on her chair, stood up and embraced him. Well, sort of embraced him, because she only reached about his shoulder, so her arms were wrapped around his waist. He was surprised at first, but soon enough, he returned her hug, and they even swayed a little. He buried his face in her hair and inhaled deeply. "It's okay, Sirius." she told him. Her voice was slightly muffled by his shirt. "Everyone makes mistakes. I'm just really happy you accept yours."

He had calmed down and was now no longer biting his knuckles. "I'm such a monster." he said, holding her tighter.

She detached herself from him. "Don't say that, Sirius." Her voice was soft, but she knew he wouldn't disobey her. "You are one of the bravest men I've ever met. You can take things most people would break down if they happened to them. You're one of the most intelligent, too. You don't follow others like sheep, you think about what's asked of you. You even went against your own family to achieve that independence." He smiled slightly. "No matter how hard you might try to convince others and yourself, it's a really hard thing to do. Where I come from…" He inhaled sharply, and she knew why: it was the first time she spoke of her past willingly. "Where I come from, there was a man I knew like that. He had abandoned everything he had, conscious of the consequences, for his friends and his beliefs. After that, he lost the life he had built himself because of an unjust accusation. He spent twelve years of pure torture paying for that. Here, it's an equivalent to twelve years… In Azkaban."

Sirius gasped. "Twelve years? And he never lost it?"

She shook her head. "He came back." she continued. "He came back to put things right and punish the real culprit. He didn't manage to do it, but I had the privilege of meeting him. Despite all that Fate had thrown in his face, he could still smile." she smiled herself. "He could still laugh, and no matter how much he enjoyed denying it… He could still love. And I have always admired him because of that." She held her hand up next to his cheek hesitatingly, before stroking it gently. "You remind me so much of him." she whispered.

He leaned against her hand. When she pulled it away, he grabbed it and kissed it gently, staring directly into her eyes. His own silver pools were showing so much tenderness she positively melted. They stayed like that for a while until they heard someone clear their throat. Sirius groaned and turned around, to find the three other Marauders staring. Peter and Remus' faces showed no emotions, but James was positively beaming. "Way to go, Padfoot!" he cheered, and then sprinted out.

Peter shifted his feet awkwardly, before nodding in acknowledgement and leaving hurriedly after his friend. Only Remus stood there, staring at the pair. After a lot of staring between the three, he nodded. "Thanks Hermione." he said quietly. "For hexing the git… And forgiving him." and he left without another word.

Hermione shifted her feet. "Why do I feel as if he was mad at me?" she asked.

Sirius seemed uncomfortable too. "Err… It may have been that Moony kept a little secret from us and he may have been… Pining after you."

She gasped. "And you didn't notice?" she asked.

He was now nervously stuffing his hands as far down his pockets as he possibly could. "I might have been a little… Preoccupied by other things." he mumbled.

She slapped his arm. "You jerk!" she yelled. "You should never _ever _stop worrying about your friends! He's going to be really upset now and if you had been more careful, this wouldn't have happened! I mean, he's probably thinking I have feelings for you or something now!"

Sirius' shoulders slackened. "Yeah, you're probably right. I should go and apologise." he admitted.

She heaved a sigh and nodded. "Yeah." she said. "Go do just that. I'll come over to check you've made up. Mind you, Sirius Black, if he doesn't forgive you, it's entirely your fault."

He sighed too. "Oh, well, I guess I know what I've gotta do now." he declared. She nodded stiffly, and he set off. He was feeling slightly confused with himself. He liked Hermione, that was sure. Remus liked Hermione, that was pretty goddam sure too. But who did Hermione like?

She was a strange and confusing girl. By the way she acted, she seemed to fancy the whole bloody school! First she hugs him and reassures him, and for a couple of seconds he knew they could be together. But then she goes crazy because, apparently, Remus likes her. He snorted and started jogging up a flight of stairs. _Can't she just like one person?_, he thought.

Then it hit him. It hit him hard, as if he had just run into a brick wall at full speed. She didn't like him. She liked Remus. After all, she had only said someone where she came from reminded her of him. She had used the word 'admired', not 'loved'. He shook his head and stopped in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady. "Lochness monster." he hissed at her, and she scowled at him before swinging open.

He stomped in the Common Room and, upon noting Remus' absence, ran up the stairs to the boys' dormitory. Fury suddenly hit him as he saw that pompous son of a bitch just lying down on his bed, apparently reading a book. He looked up and noticed his friend's arrival. "Hello Sirius." he said, putting his book down on his bedside table. He stood up and frowned at the Animagus. "What's got your knickers in a twist?" he asked, practically sneering.

Sirius was fuming. "You!" he bellowed. "Who else?" It was a good thing the dormitories were empty except for the two of them.

"_Me_?" Remus growled. "_I_ should be angry with _you_!" he declared.

"Oh yeah? And under what motive?" Sirius threw back.

"I like her!" he bellowed. "Isn't it fucking obvious? I mean, I asked her to Hogsmeade and we made a prank together…"

"What's that got to do with me?" Sirius' hand was itching for his wand, just to curse the guys in front of him.

"She likes you!" he declared. His hand was inching towards his pocket as well, Sirius noted. "It's always been Saint Sirius who gets all the credit, hasn't it? I'm just the big bad wolf! And I hate that! Because _I_ never save the day, _I_ don't ride off in the sunset, and _I don't get the girl_!"

"Shut up!" Sirius yelled back, pulling his wand out of his pocket, but not pointing it at Remus. "Just shut up! You don't know what it's like!"

Remus pulled his own wand out of his pocket. "_Stupefy_!" he said, but Sirius deflected the curse. "You shut up! You never listen to me! _Impedimenta_! Let me just give you a piece of my mind! _Defodio_! You always came first in my list of priorities! _Deprimo_! Every time I liked someone, you had her first! I always let you! _Tarantagerella_! First Jackie! Then Lauren! And Meredith! Catherine! Lisa! Victoria! _Locomotor Mortis_!" Sirius managed to block all the spells, but Remus' wrath seemed destructive. "You even took Mary from me!" he bellowed, tears forming in his eyes. "And now _you're_ angry with _me_?! _Petrificus Totalus_! You fucking hypocrite!"

"You bastard!" Sirius yelled back. "Maybe I had their affection, but it was the only one I had! _Confringo_! You know how I feel every time your mom sends you homemade brownies or something? I feel abandoned! Why do you think I fuck all these girls, huh? I don't do it to piss you off! _Desangeo_! It numbs the pain! All that that I feel when I see you all go googly eyed on stuff people send you! _Expelliarmus_! Because you're so fucking blind you don't see how I'd love to be you!"

"I won't let you hurt Hermione!" Remus cried. "_Expulso_! She's the only one I have, and you're not taking her away from me!"

"You complete dork!" Sirius was starting to cry slightly too. "I don't want to use her! She's different! _Incendio_! And for fuck's sake, she doesn't like me!" Remus froze. "That's right, she doesn't like me! She just made that pretty clear! She told me to go and apologise for making you believe the wrong thing! How do you think that feels, huh? I feel betrayed! Betrayed by my werewolf of a supposed best friend! I fucking hate you!"

Remus stowed his wand away. They stared at each other for a while, before he declared in a cold voice: "Well that just about makes things clear, doesn't it?"

Sirius glared at him and stowed his own wand away. "Yeah, it does. May the best _man _win… That would be me, since you're not even a man." he sneered.

Remus growled and shoved past Sirius to exit the dormitory, slamming the door after him. Sirius groaned and soon followed. Once in the Common Room, he sat down on a couch and brooded. Hermione came in just before lunch. When she saw his face, she asked: "I take it he didn't forgive you?" For an answer, Sirius just growled. "Hey, don't take it out on me!" she said, holding both of her hands up. "I've got nothing to do with this!" After that, she just walked quietly up to her dormitories.

When she was gone, Sirius sighed, pinching his sinuses between his thumb and forefinger, muttering: "If only you knew, Hermione. If only you knew."

-o-O-o-

The next day started gloomily for most of the Gryffindors. Remus and Sirius glared at each other constantly and couldn't stand being within a ten foot radius of each other. When Remus approached, Sirius would say: "Funny, I can sense some backstabbing coming." When Sirius came too near, Remus would go: "There's a mangy mutt smell in the air, don't you think?"

Basically, it pissed Hermione off. She refused to help either of them to get their trunks downstairs, for fear that they would think she was taking a side. When James, Peter, Lily and Mary asked what was wrong with them, she just waved it off with a wave of her hand and said: "Why don't you ask them?"

So then the little group was standing on the platform, all hugging Hermione, one after the other. When it was James' turn, he whispered in her ear: "They'll come around. In the meantime, if Dumbledore lets you, you could bunk at by place." he released her then, smiling slightly despite the circumstances, and hopped onto the train, where most of the students were already waiting.

She waved them off, Remus and Sirius from two different windows, promising to write a lot, before walking to the back of the train, so as to exit the platform. On her way, she felt someone staring. She turned to her right and was not surprised to find Regulus smirking at her from a compartment window. "What do you want, Black?" she asked, really not in the mood.

"Nothing." he answered. Somehow she doubted his sincerity; he was always after something.

"Oh really?" she asked tauntingly. "I guess I'll be off then."

She turned and started to walk away, before he called out: "Granger, wait!" _Ha!_ she thought_. I knew it!_

She turned back to him and stared at him, trying to look annoyed. "What, Black? I don't have all day."

The smirk looked harder to keep up as he answered. "Have good holidays." After a while, he added. "They might just be your last."

She was surprised, to say the least. "I…" she stuttered. "I… Thank you, I guess."

The train started chugging and moving very slowly. Regulus' face showed panic, before he focused on her, looking menacing. "You'd better write, Granger." he growled. "Because otherwise, I will kill you."

She knew better than to cower in fear. "Sure Black." she said, rolling her eyes. She started to follow the train at a slow pace. "You better write too!" she added, starting to jog. "Because otherwise, _I_ will kill _you_!" She started running then, until she reached the end of he platform, and she remembered something. "Hey Black!" she cried out at his retreating form.

"Yeah?" he yelled back.

She put her hands around her mouth to sound louder. "Don't do anything stupid!" she yelled as loud as she possibly could, before agitating her hand in the air as if she wanted to make a plane land. She saw him shake his head and wave slightly, before he put his body back in the window and was gone. She hoped he would take her advice.

-o-O-o-

**So, this chapter is slightly long, because I wanted to give you a good update today, seeing as I'm not even sure if I will do it tomorrow, mind you, because my muse is running out, and I haven't got enough reviews to keep me going! Besides, the next chapter is really short. **

**You know what to do, just type in your little review and press that too neglected (in my opinion) button to send it to me! Hope you guys had a nice week end! :)**

**Also, I'll mention, in the next A/N, the person who finds my reference to a cartoon in this chapter and writes it in a review! Think of this as a contest of some sort.**

**Next chapter: Owl post and real O.W.L.'s.**


	8. Owl Post

**Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters. Everything belongs to JK Rowling, and I'm merely allowed to play around with them. No copyright infringement is intended.  
**

**I was hesitating to post this, since I haven't written the newt chapter yet, but I figured, since we passed 1000 views (1248 views exactly) I might as well. :) Thanks to my reviewers (_TheSpringLover_ and _roseberrygirl_) as well as my readers, followers and all those who have this story on Favourites. This chapter is mostly owl post format, so I'm sorry if you don't like it, I just thought it would be original. Anyway, enjoy!  
**

_Chapter 8_

-o-O-o-

_Dear 'Mione, _

_I hope you're having good holidays, and Dumbledore isn't too hard on you. _

_I wish you good luck with your O.W.L.'s (I'm not meaning to scare you but they're really horrible). Only twelve days to go!_

_If you ask yourself why I'm not writing anything about me in this letter, it's because I'm bored out of my mind and nothing exciting is happening._

_Anyway, have good revisions (that must be hard), _

_Lots of love,_

_Lily._

-o-O-o-_  
_

_Dear Lily,_

_Oh, no, not you too! My name is Hermione, for goodness' sake! Ever since Sirius invented that ridiculous nickname, everyone's been calling me that._

_I'm having fruitful revisions, thank you, although my Ancient Runes are giving me a lot of trouble._

_I've got to find the courage to go through the last eleven days of this! _

_Hope you fare well, love,_

_Hermione._

_PS: Dumbledore is being very nice about it, and he says hello._

-o-O-o-

_Dear Hermione,_

_See, I used your proper name! I'm not like Sirius, using humiliating nicknames and actually forgetting your Christian name._

_I hope you're having a nice time and you aren't working too hard. When you're done with your exams, my mother would love to meet you. She does terrific cookies, mind you!_

_If you accept, the Sunday on the before-last week of the vacation would be cool. We could have lunch and all that._

_I bet you can't beat my result! I got ten O.W.L.'s, six O's and four E's. Try beating that, hah! You'd have to learn the whole Hogwarts library by heart (like I did) and I bet even you can't do that in ten days._

_Good luck!_

_Remus._

-o-O-o-___  
_

_Dear Remus,_

_Believe me when I say I will beat your O.W.L. results. I know you're probably rolling you eyes and scoffing, but when I do get them, you'll be sent a copy. Just to prove a point._

_I am the best. Better get used to that idea!_

_Tell your mom I'd love to meet her too! That Sunday sounds lovely! James invited me to his place too, but he hasn't contacted me yet. In fact, you and Lily are the only ones who have written so far!_

_Well, at least I know I can count on you two. Although, I am expecting to hear news of Mary very soon! Soon, as in, before my O.W.L.'s come._

_I'm really stressed, but I've only got nine days left! Love,_

_Hermione._

-o-O-o-

_Dear Hermione, _

_I'm sorry I didn't write sooner, but my dad's been sick (don't worry, he's okay now) and I've been trying really hard to advance on schoolwork._

_I'm sorry if I'm interrupting one of you revision sessions. I know I hated it when someone interrupted me. I just hope you can work a lot during these last eight days before the exams!_

_I can practically see you bite your nails at this. Keep cool, girl!_

_Don't forget to breathe!_

_Mary._

-o-O-o-_  
_

_Dear Mary,_

_You're right, I hate being interrupted too. It's a good thing your owl came at breakfast, then! _

_I'm writing this as dinner is being served. It's a lot of fun being alone with the Headmaster. I got to know the House Elves, they're really nice! I am surprised they are happy about being enslaved, though…_

_I guess House Elves and Divination are the two things I will never understand, they lack any logic. Only a week to go!_

_Good luck on your schoolwork! Love,_

_Hermione._

-o-O-o-

_Dear Hermione,_

_After much deliberation with my mother, I managed to convince her to let you stay at our place during the last week of the holidays._

_Don't think she didn't want you to come because she didn't like you, she said me and Sirius (who's living at my house) had better be… err… proper, if you get my drift._

_Anyway, I managed to convince her I only had interest in Lily (no offence intended) and she is absolutely convinced Sirius is an angel._

_I know right, what the hell? I'm more of an angel than Sirius will ever be!_

_Have fun and reply soon!_

_James._

_PS: Only six days until your O.W.L.'s! Good luck!  
_

-o-O-o-

_Dear James,_

_I asked Dumbledore and he said okay for the last week of the holidays. I wasn't planning on working anyway._

_I may have O.W.L.'s to revise but I don't have any holiday homework! In your face!_

_I'm sorry, I'm feeling a little giddy today… How are things progressing with Lily? I bet you haven't once written to her, you insensitive git! Do it now!_

_Only five days left, love,_

_Hermione._

_PS: No offence taken._

-o-O-o-

_Dear 'Mione,_

_I've decided to call you that even in letters. I'm sorry I didn't write any sooner, I just thought it would be better to let you work frustrated… And I'm also just a lazy arse._

_I'm looking forward to when you're coming to visit me (save your breath, I know you're not coming for James) and not looking forward to your answer, since you will probably scold me._

_I hope Remus is not too much of a bother, I know what a leech he can be. He'll probably try and bore you to death during the last four days of you revision!_

_Screw him, _

_Sirius._

-o-O-o-

_Dear Sirius,_

_The owl with which you sent your letter nearly bit my finger off! I get it that you can be pissed, but you and Remus can go and sort out your sexual frustration with each other, instead of sending ruddy birds to devour me!_

_I'm sorry if I sound a bit harsh, but my O.W.L.'s are in three days, and this is most definitely not the time to play one of your pranks or complain to me. I have enough to be worried about without you adding a layer!_

_In any case, I look forward to seeing both James and you, and I wish you good holidays._

_Love,_

_Hermione._

_PS: You owe me five Galleons.  
_

-o-O-o-

_Granger,_

_Don't expect me to apologise for not writing, because it would be a lie. And I know well enough not to lie to girls. You see, unlike my dearest brother, I am capable of brain activity and have the ability to think._

_I did mention that I wanted you to write first, though. I do know better than not write to you, too, because then you would have my head off (and possibly something else too)._

_I can't really be angry at you anyway, since I know you are revising for your precious little O.W.L.'s, and I really shouldn't over-exert that Mudblood brain of yours. They're only two days away, eh?_

_My mother would kill me if she saw me writing to someone like you, but I'll take my chances._

_Until your reply comes, _

_Regulus Arcturus Black.  
_

-o-O-o-

_Black,_

_Are we on whole name basis now? If so, then let me rephrase my beginning._

_Regulus Arcturus Black,_

_There, better? Good._

_I'm not sorry about not writing to you earlier either. Don't you dare say I should, either._

_My O.W.L.'s are tomorrow, and I'm preparing for them eagerly. Dumbledore says I should "keep cool", but I can't find it in me to follow his advice._

_Go ahead, make fun of me all you want, but I don't even care anymore._

_I'll just make myself a cup of coffee and send you this letter, then._

_Nice owl,_

_Hermione Jean Granger._

-o-O-o-

_Dear Lily/ Remus/ Mary/ James/ Sirius/ Regulus Arcturus Black,_

_I've done it! I've passed my O.W.L.'s! I'm so glad all of this is over! I'm pretty sure I did well, although I think I mixed up the date of the Blood Purity Convention… It was the eighth of September 1260, right?_

_In any case, I'm heading off to Gringotts right now, so I'll be able to open a vault. I'm starting work next Monday, and I think it might be boring… Oh, Well, I'll have to wait and see!_

_Love,/ Until later,_

_Hermione./ Hermione Jean Granger._

Hermione copied that letter six times with magic, erased the bits that weren't meant for the same person, and sent them off with six different school owls. Each hooted a little at the time she was taking to tie them up, but she eventually set them free.

She watched them fly off in the sunset, wondering how she would survive the next month with only letters to keep her company.

-o-O-o-

**Yeah, well, I warned you this was going to be short, didn't I?**

**It _is_ short, but it's got loads of spaces so it evens thing up a bit. Anyway, I'd still like to know your opinion on this chapter, so just type your little review in and make my day. Pleaaaaase! Thanks guys!**

**Next chapter: Stuff that I can't tell you about, but you can probably guess. :)  
**


	9. Don't do anything stupid

**Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters. Everything belongs to JK Rowling, and I'm merely allowed to play around with them. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**I know I said I probably wouldn't update today, and I wasn't planning to, but yesterday, like, just before dinner, I managed to write a whole chapter! (which is rare, because it was Tuesday and on Tuesdays I have nine hours of class straight with only half an hour lunch... And when I come home, I'll literally dead) And then this morning, I woke up, went on my computer and saw 5 reviews for the last chapter, more follows, favourites, and one person actually followed and favourited ME! So, just because I update today doesn't mean I won't do it tomorrow, since we're Wednesday and I finish at one... giving me loads of writing time.  
**

**So, I'd like to thank a guest who pointed out a calculating mistake on my part, I said Remus had ten O.W.L.'s, eight E's and 5 O's... But that's thirteen. Anyway, I corrected that mistake as soon as possible. Thank you, whoever you are! :) My usual thanks to my readers, reviewers (_TheSpringLover_,_ LK-HoGwArTs-hEaDgIrL_ and_ roseberrygirl_) and all the rest of you... And I'm sorry for this awefully long Author's Note. Action packed chapter, hope you'll like it!  
**

_Chapter 9_

-o-O-o-

The man tightened his long black cloak around himself as he accelerated the pace. Strands of his long, silvery blond hair escaped his hood and flew behind him as he roamed the streets of London. The Dark Lord had sent him on an important errand that day, and he didn't want to disappoint him.

As he walked past number 10, Grimmauld Place, a building started to appear out of thin air, pushing those next to it to the side. The man smiled. This was going to be easier than he thought it would. He climbed the couple of stairs that led to the door and gave a light knock. After a few minutes, a light turned on behind it and the door opened, revealing the surprised face of a middle-aged woman. "Lucius?" she asked, disbelieving.

The man smirked and lowered his hood. "The one and only." he admitted. "Good evening, Walburga. You look charming, as always."

The woman pinched her lips together. "What are you here for, Lucius? Surely you know Narcissa no longer stays here."

The man shook his head. "As a matter of fact, Walburga, it is not Narcissa whom I am looking for. I'm looking for your son."

Her face darkened marginally. "Regulus?" she asked, her voice tightening.

"Of course." he amended. "I was unaware that you had another."

She threw her nose up slightly in the air, before calling behind her shoulder. "Regulus Arcturus Black!" she yelled. "You'd better come down here soon if you want to keep your head intact! You have a guest!" she turned back to Lucius once she heard moving footsteps upstairs. "What do want with him?" she asked.

"It is not me who is in need of him Walburga," he admitted. "But the Dark Lord himself."

"The Dark Lord?" she asked, disbelieving.

He nodded. "He would like to _offer_ Regulus a place amongst our ranks." he stressed the verb to make it clear he wouldn't take no for an answer.

However, that was not the part Walburga had noticed. "_Our _ranks Lucius?" she asked. He nodded, and pulled back the sleeve of his cloak to reveal his Dark Mark. Most people cowered in fear when they saw such a sign, but Walburga merely stared in fascination. When she looked back up at him, she gulped. "I was unaware you had joined this movement." she admitted.

He pulled his sleeve back as a boy came rushing down the stairs. "Well Walburga," he said as Regulus went to stand next to his mother. "I can only hope you are happy for your son."

She gave a tight lipped smile. "I am." she said, and actually sounded so.

"Mother," Regulus questioned. "What's going on here?"

"Oh, a wonderful thing, Regulus dear, a wonderful thing." she told him, stroking his hair lovingly. "You have been chosen to join the ranks of the Dark Lord. You will rid us of all the scum that layers the Earth, oh! My hero!" she kissed her son's hair, even though he was taller than her.

"All right, now, Regulus." Lucius said. "We don't want to make the Dark Lord wait any longer." Walburga let go of her son and he, now wrapped in a black velvet cloak, stepped out of the house. His mother closed the door after him, still smiling.

The two men walked down the street, and finally Regulus found his voice. "Where are we going?" he asked.

Lucius chuckled darkly, making the younger man shudder. "We're off to the hideout, of course." he stopped suddenly, and Regulus almost bumped into him from behind. "Take my hand." he said, holding it out. "I'll Apparate us there."

Regulus took he blonde's hand cautiously, not feeling very reassured. They twirled together and he felt as if he was being squeezed in a rubber tube. A way too tight, rubber tube. It only lasted for a second, but when his feet touched the ground again, he started panting and clutching his stomach, wanting to retch all over the place.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Lucius said, not even looking back at him. Regulus held in another wave and looked up. "The Dark Lord does not appreciate wimps."

Regulus took a deep breath and steadied as the urge to vomit receded. He stood up, still breathing heavily, and looked around. He recognised the place instantly: his cousin Cissy had often told him about it, and how this was where she wanted to live when she was older. Even though he had heard about it, it was still a shock to see.

Lucius smiled. "Yes, I rather like my place, too." he declared smugly, before starting towards the gate. Regulus followed. The grounds were huge, but gloomy in the dark of the night, and the sixteen year-old boy half expected a hag to jump out screeching. The inside wasn't much better either. All that dark polished wood seemed too heavy, too dense… It just didn't feel right.

But what scared Regulus the most was the high, cold voice that he heard coming from the dining room. As both men entered it, silence installed itself. Half-terrified, half-admiring, Regulus noted the presence of known faces, some coming from his own family; his cousin Bella was there, as was Cissy. Severus Snape was there too, like Avery, Crabbe and Goyle. Most of their fathers were present as well, although Orion Black himself was missing.

"Ah, Regulus." a hiss came from the end of the table. His eyes travelled towards its origin and he almost wanted to puke again. The man had a gaunt, pale face, with sunken features and bright, crimson eyes. He may have been handsome once, but that time was far gone. "We have been expecting you." His voice was barely more than a whisper, yet everyone in the room could hear it loud and clear.

Regulus shuddered inwardly and threw himself to one knee, facing the ground. "My Lord." he acknowledged his presence.

"Yes, Regulus." the voice came. It sounded inhuman, almost snake-like. "You have been called here to have a chance to join this fight against the filthy blood that taunts us and dirties the land of our fathers. Would you like such a place?"

As he registered the words, another voice popped up in his mind. '_Don't do anything stupid_'. He breathed heavily and cursed Hermione Granger for saying that to him. "It would be an honour, My Lord." he said, trying to ignore the Mudblood's voice in his head.

"Stand up, Regulus." the voice said. The Slytherin did as he was told, and was once again faced with the abomination that ruled this place. Lord Voldemort stood up too, and declared with his snake-like hiss: "We will now proceed with the initiation."

All the Death Eaters stood up, then, and followed the Dark Lord out of the room, and into a corridor. Regulus followed the movement. As they walked down to the dungeons, Bella came up to him and declared. "You did well, Regulus." she was not much older than him, a couple of months, at the most, but still wore her mark proudly by the hem of her sleeve. She was rather small, but her extremely curly hair made up most of the height difference between them. "I am proud to call you my cousin."

Regulus' thoughts drifted to Sirius, then, and his voice rang in his ears: '_You are no brother of mine!_' He shook his head. "Thank you, Bella." he said stiffly. "It means a lot to me."

She nodded and went back to take her place at the top of the line. The whole crowd entered a large, circular room, where a stone hostel stood in the middle. The tiled floor was littered with different layers of blood, although Regulus did not want to think about whose it may have been.

The Dark Lord sat down on a throne in the far side of the room, and declared: "Now, let the ritual begin."

Lucius came up to him and said "Take off you shirt." Regulus removed his cloak and shirt, leaving him only in his trousers and shoes. He shivered slightly as Lucius took his clothing and placed it in a corner of the room. The humidity of these dungeons could be felt and he wondered whether he would be sick in the morning.

Bella took over after that. She took his hand and led him to the hostel and motioned for him to lie down. As he obeyed her wordless command, he was reminded of the Hogwarts Hospital Wing, with Madam Pomfrey fussing over him as he argued with her. She held both of his arms out and strapped all of his members tightly to the stone hostel, before regaining her place among the ranks.

The Dark Lord waved his wand, and some stones on his right started moving. Once they formed a large hole in the wall, the Death Eaters around him started chanting a gloomy incantation.

Lord Voldemort made a spitting, hissing sort of noise and out of the wall slithered a huge, black snake. Regulus' blood froze. The thing was about a foot thick and over ten feet long, with a head the size of a football, although not as round. He tried struggling against his bonds, but he was too tightly strapped.

The chants increased in volume as the creature inched closer, slithering to the left of the stone hostel. Sweat broke out on Regulus' forehead despite the cold, and Granger's voice rang in his head once more. '_Don't do anything stupid!_' He almost wanted to punch that girl. What's her definition of stupid anyway?

The snake obeyed its master's command and raised its head for it to come to about Regulus' height. The latter noticed the darkness of the reptile: It was darker than a shadow at night in a dark room. Pure black, so dark you could barely see the outline of its scales.

Granger voice was repeating itself now. '_Don't do anything stupid!_' The snake opened its jaws to reveal two shining fangs, as long as cutlasses. At this sight, Regulus almost fainted.

The chants got louder and louder, but he hardly noticed, what with the snake positioning itself high above his left forearm and Granger's voice still saying: '_Don't do anything stupid._'

Suddenly, the creature's head snapped down, embedding both fangs deep in his flesh. Regulus' back arched of the table and he let out a piercing scream, the chants still getting louder.

'_Don't do anything stupid._' He felt the venom seep through his veins, although he could no longer see a thing, his eyes clamped shut as the agony wracked his body in waves.

'…_do anything stupid._' The creature didn't appear to be moving, both fangs still pouring more and more venom in his bloodstream. Amongst the chants, he could hear something else, but couldn't quite put his finger on it.

'…_do anything stupid._' The bonds seemed to tighten around his wrists and ankles, or maybe it was just his thrashing that made them dig in his flesh.

'…_anything stupid._' The pain was becoming so intense his eyes opened with the speed of light and he managed to shut his mouth, biting on his tongue and drawing blood to be able to catch his breath.

'…_anything stupid._' Voldemort's cold laughter rang around the room, but he could barely discern it from the increasing volume of the chanting, now more sounding like hysterical screeching.

'…_thing stupid._' He twisted his head to the side as he choked on his own blood, splattering it on the snake's face. It didn't seem to mind.

'…_thing stupid._' He saw with horror the ebony venom seeping into his flesh, forming the distinct outline of the snake and skull and he started thrashing again.

'…_stupid._' Granger said. '_…stupid…stupid…stupid._' The chants reached an end. Voldemort stopped laughing. Pain, pain, pain. Slowly, although that was just a matter of perspective, the snake extracted its fangs from Regulus' forearm and went to lie back down on the cold stone tiles. '_…stupid._' Blood started seeping from the two perfectly circular holes on his arm. '_…stupid._' Voldemort was grinning from ear to ear as the snake slithered back in its lair. '_…stupid._' Regulus looked back at his forearm. The Dark Mark pulsed.

Everything went black.

-o-O-o-

**That was predictable. And spooky. *shivers* But, after all, it is rated M. :)  
**

**I mean, I had to re-read OoTP and DH to know when he would get Marked, and he was sixteen, according to Kreacher. That would be after his fifth year, which is… well, now.**

**Also, I do have a problem: in OoTP, it is said that Regulus died fifteen years ago, which would have been in 1980. But in DH, it says that Regulus died a year after joining, which would have been in 1978. I don't know which to follow, and a little help might be nice, because I wanted his 'date of death' (for the purpose of this story) in 1979… **

**Any, as always, I love reviews, and I promise mot to scold you if I get loads. :) Have a nice afternoon and… That's it guys.**

**Edit: I got a review from a guest telling me Regulus was in the end of his fourth year. Wrong! In chapters 1 and 2, it is mentioned that the Marauders and Lily are in sixth year, Hermione in fifth, and therefore Regulus in fifth too. I made Mary in fifth because I wanted to and it is never mentioned that she was in the same year as Lily is. Plus, how could Remus have his O.W.L. results if Hermione doesn't have hers? I hope I made that clear, see you guys! :p  
**


	10. Attraction

**Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters. Everything belongs to JK Rowling, and I'm merely allowed to play around with them. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**My usual thanks to my awesome readers, reviewers and all those who keep up with my irregular updates :') I love you guys! On with the story. I've kept you waiting long enough.  
**

_Chapter 10_

-o-O-o-

"Five Butterbeers it is, then." Hermione wrote on her notepad, before setting off to the bar. As she poured the honey coloured liquid inside the huge glasses, she silently cursed Dumbledore for giving her such a rotten job. She walked back to the table full of drunkards and set their Butterbeers down. "Five Butterbeers, five!" she announced, and went to stand behind the counter.

If only it had been the work that pissed her off, things could have ended up fine, although it really was a handful. Of course, if the customers had been a little more sober, she could have felt better. But the one thing she just _couldn't stand_ in this was the uniform.

The way men leered at her backside whenever she bent down to pick something up just made her flare up. She had talked to Madam Rosemerta about it, who had simply shrugged and said: "You have to get used to it!"

The only good aspect was that now she had something to put in her Gringotts vault. She saw a man and a woman come in and thought '_Only two days left, Hermione, only two days left._' She walked over to where the pair was standing. "Hello," she said, putting up her very fake smile. "Can I help you in any way?"

The man's eyes bulged. "Hermione?" he asked, disbelieving.

At first, she was tempted to ask who he was and how he knew her name, but after a while, she recognised him too. "Remus?" she squeaked, clasping her hands to her mouth as the notebook clattered to the floor, forgotten.

He bent over and retrieved the tied pieces of parchment, before handing them back to her. He had changed a lot, Hermione reflected. He had let his sandy blond hair grow, and it was now falling down his face and tickled his eyes, making him blink more often. That new habit emphasised his blue ayes, making them sparkle in a delicious manner. He had grown over two inches in the summer, and now towered over her, even though he was still as thin as a toothpick. He had let a slight subtle grow, so the same sandy blond hair that covered his head now peppered his jaw slightly, hiding some of his facial scars.

Hermione blushed and mumbled a "Thank you." as she took her notebook back. This new Remus destabilised her. In truth, Hermione found him… well… hot. She blushed an even deeper red.

"Erm… Hermione?" Remus asked tentatively. She looked up. "I'd like you to meet my mother. Mom, this is Hermione, whom is supposed to be coming over for lunch on Sunday."

Hermione held out her hand and the older woman shook it. "It's a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Lupin." Hermione said politely. "Remus has told me a great deal about you."

The middle-aged woman was beaming. "And I about you." she declared

Remus blushed. "Mom…" he whined slightly.

Hermione giggled slightly. "Anyway, you were here for a reason, were you not?" she remembered suddenly.

"Yes." Mrs. Lupin said. "We wanted a Butterbeer, didn't we, Remus." Hermione heard him mumble something, but wasn't sure if it was an approval or not.

"Very well, let me show you to a table." She said, and walked over to the one in the far corner, where there was less noise and cigar smoke. She pulled her wand out and cleaned the table, before motioning the two to sit down. "I'll just get your Butterbeers and be back in a second." she said quietly, before heading towards the bar.

She came back a couple of minutes later, two bottles in hand, and set them down on the table. She was preparing to turn back again, when Mrs. Lupin's voice stopped her. "Hermione dear?" she asked. Hermione turned back to face her, a questioning look in her eyes. "Are you still coming Sunday?"

Hermione smiled. "Yes, I am. I'll get my pay Friday night, and then on Saturday I'll go shopping for something to wear. There's no need to worry, I'll be there." she reassured the elder of the two, although she was pretty sure she saw Remus relax marginally too at that sentence.

"Good." Mrs. Lupin nodded. "Meet us at the Leaky Cauldron at half past eleven, then?" she asked.

"Alright," she answered. "It should give me enough time to prepare." Remus' presence was unsettling, and she found herself happy that her skirt was so short; it made her feel cooler.

"Well then… See you Sunday, Hermione." Remus told her, smiling.

Her breath caught in her throat. He was _really_ hot. "Yeah, until Sunday then." she managed to choke out. "Goodbye Mrs. Lupin." she added with an afterthought.

"Goodbye, dear." she said, still smiling. Hermione turned and walked away from them to help a very old wizard pay for his flagon of Firewhiskey. '_Two days left, Hermione, two days left._'

-o-O-o-

Sunday morning was one of the worst mornings of her entire life. "Ugh!" she cried, frustrated. "I don't know what to wear!" Her whole closet, which wasn't that much, was scattered across the whole dormitories that she occupied by herself and she just stood there, in her matching underwear and panties, waiting for a great idea to come to her.

Unfortunately for her, it didn't come. She had tried numerous ways for a flash of inspiration to visit her, including _Accio_ing 'the perfect outfit', which had very limited success, trying everything on, with equally limited success, and just dropping everything on the floor, which had no success at all whatsoever.

After doing nothing for about ten minutes, Hermione sighed and picked her wand up from the bedside table. She muttered a few spells and, one by one, each of her articles of clothing folded itself and went to lie nicely in her trunk. She was down to the last few articles when she gasped. In front of her, falling to the floor as her spell had ended, was the perfect wear.

It was a simple sundress of a canary yellow colour which, when she tried it on, stopped just an inch above her knee. The neckline was round and showed some cleavage, as well as most of her shoulders. It was held by two thin straps and, along with black stockings and a leather jacket which Hermione deterred as soon as she found it, it was simply perfect.

She stood there, admiring herself in front of a mirror, when she glanced at the clock. '_Shit!_' she thought. It was quarter past eleven. She barely had the time to tie her hair in a chignon before she set off to the Common Room. Dumbledore had allowed her to use this Floo for her personal errands, as long as she told him first.

She grabbed a pinch of Floo powder and threw it in the fire, before stepping in, calling clearly: "Leaky Cauldron!" And with a flash of green flames, she vanished from the Gryffindor Common Room.

-o-O-o-

Remus sipped his hot chocolate quietly. It was now ten past eleven, and he was starting to get nervous. His parents had advised that he bring Hermione home alone, without him, to get her more relaxed.

He smiled and shook his head slightly. There was no way she was going to be more relaxed with a werewolf like him than a fragile old lady like his mother, but he didn't argue. She probably didn't know what he was anyway.

He took another small sip, relishing the warmth that spread through his body as the thick liquid slipped down his throat, leaving a sweet trail behind. Flashes of green came occasionally, but it was never Hermione's slim figure that stepped out of the chimneys.

He finished his cup and held up his hand slightly. The barman nodded, and walked over so that Remus could pay him. He handed over five Sickles and nodded in acknowledgement, before hopping off his stool and walking around the bar.

A flash of green caught his eye on his right, and he turned his head in its direction. Unfortunately, it was nothing but an old man in a blue cloak that seemed way too big for him.

He sighed. Suddenly, two small hands placed themselves above his eyes and he heard a feminine voice say: "Guess who?"

He recognised the voice instantly. "Hermione?" he asked tentatively, before peeling off the hands and turning to face her. He almost gasped.

She wearing the cutest yellow sundress he'd ever seen, with black tights and a leather jacket. She wasn't wearing any make up, but he saw she had straightened her hair like the day of the Hogsmeade trip. She looked simply, in one word, ravishing.

"You look gorgeous." he managed to say, trying to keep his eyes from bulging out.

She smiled. "Thank you. You look pretty dashing yourself." she said, and he felt a sudden warmth in his chest.

Trying to ignore the pleasing sensations, he led her out of the bar, saying: "Shall we?"

He smile broadened. "Don't mind if we do." They walked a little through Diagon Alley until they stopped in front of Madam Malkin's. There, Remus pulled his wand out.

He smiled slightly arrogantly. "I passed my Apparition license a week ago." he told her. "That's one of the reasons my parents wanted me to fetch you alone."

She laughed. "Fetch me?" she asked. "Am I like your toy to play with?"

"Nah, you got it all wrong!" he said, although, in his head, he was thinking: '_I'd like that._'

"No need to sound so panicked." she said. "I was joking. I know you wouldn't think of me like that."

Hr didn't answer, merely thinking: '_If only you knew, Hermione, if only you knew._' "All right." he said instead. "You just have to grab hold of my arm and I'll Apparate us there. Be careful though, you might get nausea or stuff like that, it _is_ rather uncomfortable at first."

She nodded, not looking extremely reassured. She grabbed his arm, slightly too tight in his opinion, but he wasn't going to complain. He'd always wanted her to grab him roughly as he…

'_Shut up, you dirty mongrel!_' he screamed at his mind furiously. The full moon was mere days away, and his frustration could now be felt very clearly. He twisted around furiously, Apparating to his parent's house.

Once all of their feet touched the soft grass, he noticed his arm was getting numb. He looked down and saw Hermione, her eyes closed, clinging on to his arm as if to dear life. He was suddenly overwhelmed with a feeling of tenderness, watching her looking so vulnerable in his arms.

"Hermione." he whispered softly in her ear. "Hermione, we're here." He repressed the urge to call her 'darling' or 'love'.

She slowly opened her eyes and took a deep breath. After that, she detached herself from Remus' arm, finger by finger, and slipped her own back to her sides.

She took in her surroundings and smiled. Remus understood her, his parents' place was surely beautiful. It was just a small brick house, sitting alone on a grassy hill. It was in the very south of Great Britain, so if you walked a little, you could see the sea, and past that, through a lot of fog, part of the French coast.

"It's amazing." she whispered, walking towards the edge of the hill.

She stood there alone, a small breeze blowing in her hair slightly, before he joined her, putting his head on hair shoulder and hugging her from behind. "Yes." he whispered in her ear. "I know."

The pair of them stayed like that for a few minutes before they heard a voice from behind them. "Children!" it said. "Lunch is ready!"

Remus straightened up and offered Hermione his hand as she turned to face him. "Ready?" he asked her.

She smiled. "As I'll ever be." she answered, grasping his long calloused fingers in her small warm ones as they set off towards the house.

-o-O-o-

**Err… OK. So I'd like to apologise to all those who were disappointed in the late update. I've been hit by a mixture of blues and writer's block and… Well, I couldn't write. I just sat there, my ideas so jumbled up I bet if I turned my head too much they would've spilled on my desk or something. So I just stuffed my face with food for a couple of days and now I'm all better! :) Hopefully this afternoon I'll be able to write some more, like that if anything like that happens again I'll be prepared and not leave you clueless for two days… **

**You can always go check out my profile to see when I will update. :) It's helpful and I go there daily.  
**

**Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter (I bet Team Remus did.) and please leave a review. They're like vaccine against writer's block… It can't help with the blues though.**

**Next chapter: Hermione goes to James' place… And what follows.**


	11. Dorea's Cake

**Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters. Everything belongs to JK Rowling, and I'm merely allowed to play around with them. No copyright infringement is intended. **

**So, yeah, I normally don't update on Sunday, but I figured, since I'd slackened a bit and left you with nothing to read for two days, I might just do it for once. Also, we passed 2200 views and I just wanted to say thank you. Don't get used to it, though! :) Thanks to all those who sent me reviews despite the lateness of the last update (_TheSpringLover, LK-HoGwArTs-hEaDgIrL_, _nostalgiakills, Smithback _and_ golojolo_)!**

**Fun fact: Marauder is a French first group verb, used in the nineteenth century language, signifying 'to steal' or 'to commit illegal mischief". **

_Chapter 11_

-o-O-o-

"'MIONE!" Hermione heard Sirius before she saw him. Mind you, she also felt him before she saw him.

She had decided to Floo to the Potter household, which turned out to be in Godric's Hollow, and had asked Dumbledore to send her luggage in later, because she wasn't sure what kind of welcoming she was in for. She had apparently been wise.

As soon as she appeared in the Potters' main chimney in a flash of green fire, she found herself enveloped in the most powerful bear hug she had ever felt.

A couple of seconds into it, she tapped his shoulder. "Sirius… Fuck… Can't… Breathe…" she muttered.

He seemed to realise that her respiration system was being constricted and let go of her. She took in a large gulp of air and wordlessly thanked the Lord for letting out of there alive. She took a glance at Sirius, who was shifting awkwardly from foot to foot. "I missed you." he mumbled as an explanation, before looking up.

She resisted an urge to laugh. He was sporting the cutest puppy eyes she'd ever seen and with his hands behind his back, he looked like a scolded schoolboy. "Aw." she said, holding her arms out. "Come here."

He gladly threw himself into her arms once more, though the hug was gentler this time. He hadn't grown much, Hermione reflected, but he had taken in some muscle. His already muscular body was now as fit as ever, and she could feel his abs through his thin black linen t-shirt. He had cut his hair, too, and now only possessed short curls that reached just his ears and didn't fall into his eyes.

She buried her face in his chest and inhaled his cologne. "I missed you too." she admitted, her voice muffled by the fabric covering it.

He hugged her closer and they swayed slightly, nearly dancing. He inhaled the scent of her hair and they heard someone clear their throat.

They both froze and Hermione detached herself from Sirius so as to see who had interrupted them.

James smiled up to them. "I know you guys are all lovey-dovey over each other and want nothing more than to shag in a broom closet right now, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to interrupt you." he told them with his very Marauder-ish grin plastered to his face.

Sirius growled: "You already did."

James grinned. "That's the main idea." he answered cheekily.

Sirius groaned and hugged Hermione from behind, placing his head on her shoulder. A wave of guilt washed over her as she realised she had been in the exact same position less than a day before with Remus. "'Mione." he moaned, nuzzling her neck. "Make him stop."

James raised an eyebrow. "This is my house, may I remind you."

"He's got a point, Sirius." Hermione told him. "You're gonna have to let go one of these days."

He buried his face in her hair once more. "I don't want to." he said, sounding more like a wounded animal than a human being.

She took a step forward, and he lost his balance and fell. Unfortunately for Hermione, he fell on top of her, and all that muscle he'd taken in was weighing down her back.

Soon, though, she felt the weight gone, and instead, when she looked back, she saw Sirius grinning madly, having raised himself so that he kneeled just behind her, in the perfect position to…

"Sirius!" she shrieked, but it was too late. He grabbed her thighs and forced her to kneel just in front of him, his hips touching her but.

Hermione was beet red as Sirius whispered. "Just say the words, 'Mione, and I'll do it."

She was about to tell him where he could stuff his words when James called out. "Hello!" he yelled, waving as if he wanted to land a plane. "I'm watching here!"

"So?" Sirius shrugged. "You're overage; why not get to see some porn in action?"

Hermione decided to ignore Sirius' remark and to answer James. "Yes, I know James, and that's why Sirius is going to let go right now, _aren't you_ Sirius?" she said loudly, turning around to glare daggers at him. Her tone of voice made it clear she wasn't taking no for an answer.

Unfortunately, Sirius seemed to have other thoughts in his head and so didn't understand the threat. "But I like it here." he whined, puppy face back on.

She sighed. "Sirius, I am going to pull out my wand if, by the count of three, you are not gone, and I _will_ hex you, understand?"

Sirius groaned and let go, before standing up. As she stood up too and straightened her skirt, she thought she heard Sirius mutter: "Quite the dominant female, are we?"

-o-O-o-

"Mrs. Potter, you're food is absolutely divine!" Hermione said as soon as she's swallowed the first mouthful of her lamb chops.

The elder woman smiled. "Thank you, dear. But, as I have told you, you may call me Dorea."

Hermione nodded and placed a forkful of green beans in her mouth. Sirius watched in awe as the silver metal slipped out of her plump pink lips and she started chewing. He missed his own mouth with his fork and ended up poking himself on the cheek, gaping like a goldfish.

He cursed slightly as some meat juice ran down his neck and into his t-shirt, making him shiver. Someone laughed. "Now, now, Sirius. We didn't ask Hermione to stay here for you to start being distracted, now, did we?"

She smiled. "Now Mr. Po- Charlus." Hermione corrected herself. "I'd much rather like to think that it's your wife's cooking that has him so worked up."

He laughed. "Quite right, you are, my dear, quite right."

They finished their pork chops and beans in silence, save for Charlus' occasional joking. When the desert came, Hermione thought her eyes were going to pop out. "Good lord!" she squealed. The desert was made up of a huge cake with chocolate icing, little pink and blue sugar flowers peppering the top, with a huge ball of vanilla ice-cream on each part.

"Ladies first." Dorea said, shooting a glance at Sirius who was about to claim the biggest piece. "There you go dear." she said, giving her the one both boys had been eyeing.

They ate their cake in silence, and once James was finished, he asked to get out of table and immediately shot outside to plat on his broomstick. '_Boys._' Hermione thought, rolling her eyes and stuffing another spoonful in her mouth. She was eating merely out of politeness, now. The cake was certainly very good, but it was also very heavy and giving her the biggest piece was not the best idea.

Sirius noticed she wasn't eating much any more and asked: "'Mione, are you feeling alright?"

She looked up to him and saw genuine concern in his eyes. "Yes, yes, I'm fine!" she said, smiling up at him. "I'm just feeling slightly full, and I'm not sure I can finish it. Do you want some?" She held her plate up to him.

She saw the longing in his eyes as he glanced at the piece of cake in her plate, yet when he answered, it was negative. "No, 'Mione, this cake is yours, I'm not touching it."

"Really, Sirius," she said. "You can have it." She nudged the plate towards him once more.

He exercised all his control and managed to choke out: "No, thank you." He saw the hurt in her eyes and partly regretted his decision. Then something popped up in his mind. He grabbed her silver spoon and cut a piece of cake off her plate, before putting it just in front of her mouth. "Open up, 'Mione."

"Sirius, that's ridiculous. We're not children!" she protested.

He put up his puppy face again. "Please?" he asked, his voice barely more than a whimper. "Please? For me?"

She contemplated the option for a few minutes before sighing, giving in. He prompted her and she opened her mouth obediently. He slipped the spoon inside her mouth and she closed her lips around it, moaning softly. This cake was just too good.

He slipped the spoon out of her mouth and she started chewing. She took his spoon from his empty plate and cut a piece of cake herself. She swallowed and placed the spoon just in front of his mouth. "But, 'Mione." he stuttered. "It's yours to eat!"

She put on the cutest pout she could manage. "Please? For me?" she asked, taking a page out of his book. He stared at her for a couple of moments before grinning and opening his mouth for her.

Charlus and Dorea watched in awe and amazement as they both fed each other pieces of cake, barely breaking eye contact. Soon, the plate was finished, and they both put their spoons down, grinning madly.

"Miss Granger!" Sirius gasped in fake astonishment. "You've got cake all over your face! Let me clear it up for you." He took her chin gingerly between his thumb and forefinger, and stared at her face. "You've got some here," He kissed her forehead. "Here," He kissed he eyelid. "Here," He kissed her cheek. "Here," He kissed her chin. "And a big piece, just here." And before she could utter any kind of protest, he pulled her towards him and placed a lingering kiss on her lips.

He pulled away, too soon in his opinion, and tried to judge her reaction through her eyes. They were unreadable. He was beginning to regret doing that when she whispered. "Mister Black, it seems you have some cake on your face too. Let me remedy to it." She wound her hands in his hair and pulled him back into another longer, much deeper kiss, moving her lips in synchronisation with his.

Soon, he was licking her lower lip slightly, asking for entrance, which she granted easily. His tongue danced with hers as he shifted her so that she was now sitting on his lap. She moaned into his mouth and stroked his raven black curls affectionately, grazing his scalp with her nails. He tangled one of his hands in her hair and placed the other on the small of her back, pushing her small frame against his broad chest lovingly. She untangled one of her hands and placed it above the left side of his chest, relishing the steady beat she felt there.

"Mom, Dad, it's raining, could you- whoa!" James said, his wet hair dangling inside his glasses, his eyes wide as he stared at the snogging couple on their chair. Dorea and Charlus were in a similar position, not wet but slightly more awkward as they had witnessed the whole thing. "I can't believe I was right!" he said, a huge grin spreading across his face. "And there they were, pretending not to be madly in love with each other…"

Both adults shushed him, and he shut up. They stood there, staring, Hermione and Sirius not taking one bit of interest in their public.

Dorea stood up first. "I think we should leave these two," she glanced at Hermione and Sirius, still busy on the chair. "Alone, don't you think?" she whispered, and both men nodded in agreement. The married couple stood up and followed their son out of the room, closing the door quietly behind them. The kissing pair did not even notice.

A few minutes later, Sirius and Hermione were declared officially an item.

-o-O-o-

**Yeah, yeah, that was slightly short, I know. Can you blame me? Don't answer that. I'd just like to point out nobody found the Megamind quote in chapter 7: "I don't save the day, I don't fly off into the sunset and I don't get the girl." So, yeah, nobody gets virtual cookies, and nobody wins this contest… Too bad. So, yeah, I don't own the quote either.**

**As always, please leave a review, I love those! Is Team Sirius satisfied? Just don't think it means they will stay together forever! Like _TheSpringLover_ said, we don't mind her fooling around slightly until I've made my choice.**

**I'd like to remind you that I haven't chosen the pairing yet, and that the poll on my profile is still open! Right now, there's a tie between Regulus, Sirius, Remus and Severus… whom we'll have to meet one of these days.**

**Anyway, have a nice Sunday, don't eat too much of Dorea's cake and all the rest of that. :) See you guys!**

**Next chapter: Back to Hogwarts!**


	12. The Hogwarts Express

**Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters. Everything belongs to JK Rowling, and I'm merely allowed to play around with them. No copyright infringement is intended. **

**Thanks to my readers, followers, favourites and, last but not least, my review team! You guys know who you are, and you can boast about it loads! :) ****Keep voting! This chapter represents the two winning pairings of my poll... Can you guess who they are? Keep voting!**

**Another 'Cartoon Quote' contest! I hope someone will find it this time. **

_Chapter 12_

-o-O-o-

"I DON'T BELIEVE IT!"

Hermione sighed. This was getting tiring. First, Mary hadn't believed it when she told her Sirius and her were dating. Next, Remus didn't believe he had lost his bet and had stared at Hermione's ten straight O's O.W.L. results for hours. And now, Lily was refusing to believe James had been made Head Boy.

"I don't believe it..." she repeated, more quietly this time, and with her hands clutching her mouth. "You," she pointed at James, whose grin was threatening to go all around his face. "Head Boy?" she was turning a slight shade of green. "I'm gonna puke." she mumbled incoherently before leaving the train compartment in a hurry.

"See?" James declared, opening his arms to gesture at himself. "I'm irresistible! By the end of this year, Lily Evans will be desperately in love with me!" he said, laughing at his own plan.

"Would've taken you long enough." Sirius laughed, wrapping his arm around Hermione. "It only took me two months to make dear 'Mione here throw herself into my arms... Which are absolutely gorgeous, mind you."

She slapped him across the head. "You egocentrically arrogant pigheaded sexist freak!" she scolded him, but he just grinned.

"Careful there, love, you don't want me to go mean." he purred, kissing her neck.

"Yeah?" she snorted. "And what will you do?" He pulled away and Hermione was scared to death at the look of pure mischief in his eyes. Before she could tell him not to, he had leaped on her and was now tickling her ribs incessantly. "No… Sirius… You dog, what the fuck?! Stop!"

He stopped for just a couple of seconds to tell her: "Say please." His eyes were glittering, everyone around them was laughing slightly. Even Remus, who had been sulking in a corner, was smirking slightly.

She glared at him. "Go to hell." he spat, venom in her voice.

"Fine." he shrugged and went back to tickling her.

She tried to struggle, but her stick like arms were no help against his Beater's body. "No… Stop it… Fine!" she gave in. "Please!"

"Not convincing enough." he muttered, not taking his hands off her.

She was running out of air. "Please!" she yelled. "Please! Pretty please!"

He didn't stop. "The physical appearance of the please makes no difference." he mumbled.

She writhed under his wondering hands. "I'm begging!" she finally cried out.

He smirked. "If you are, then I have no reason not to give you what you wish." He stopped then, and she took in a great gulp of air, before glaring daggers at him.

She was about to start yelling at him again, but Lily came back in just then. She froze at the door, taking in the scene before her. "Have I missed something?" she asked.

James smiled. "I'm afraid you have, Lily, dearest. Sirius, here, has tortured his girlfriend into submission, and it was rather fun to watch."

Lily had only retained part of the sentence, though. "Lily dearest?" she asked.

"Why, yes of course!" James said, as if it was the most obvious thing on earth. "You are the dearest thing to me, after all." While Lily froze there, obviously stunned, James stood up and declared: "Well, I don't know about you, but I've got rounds to do. See you, people." And with that, he left the train compartment and a still unmoving Lily.

After a few minutes, she did move, though. She gaped like a goldfish a little before asking: "Is he actually taking his duties seriously?" she asked.

Hermione nodded. "He always has, Lily. You've just never looked at him properly."

Lily gulped and nodded, before leaving off to her rounds. Peter spoke up: "What are you talking about, 'Mione? James never took his duties seriously until now…"

She shook her head. "No, he didn't. But I promised James to help him get Lily." she explained.

Remus scoffed. "And once he does get her, he'll get rid of her after only a couple of months."

Hermione smiled. "Believe me; I have a… _hunch_ when it comes to other people's relationships." '_And their deaths_' she added sadly, just for herself.

Sirius laughed. "If they ever have a kid, its name will be James Sirius, I'm sure of it."

Hermione shook her head. "I doubt that. Lily isn't the James junior type of girl… Although James will probably beg her to let him name it."

"What about you guys, then?" Peter asked. "Are you gonna pop out some babies anytime soon?"

Both blushed. "Well... err…" Sirius stuttered. "First it might be good if we… err… Started with the simulation."

Remus stared. "You mean you, Sirius Orion Black the third, haven't had sex with your girl yet?"

"Hey!" Hermione burst out. "First: this is none of your business. Second: Do you think I'm some kind of slut?"

"No, no, no, Hermione!" Remus said. "I didn't mean it like that!"

"What did you mean, then, Remus?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"I meant that Sirius has the power to woo every single girl in his bed after only a couple of minutes." he explained hastily.

"Do I look like any girl to you?" she asked, standing up. He was about to reply but she cut him off with a wave of her hand. "Forget it. I've had enough. I'm out of here." she declared and left.

"Aw, brilliant." Remus muttered. "I need a drink." he said before leaving too.

Peter looked puzzled. "Aren't you going to follow her?" he asked Sirius a little squeakily.

"Nah." he shook his head. "She's on her period. She's probably changing her tampon by now or something."

"Oooooh!" Peter said. "That explains a lot of things." he added, nodding to himself.

Sirius laughed a little. "Yes, it does." He left it at that for a little while before adding: "I found out the hard way." He grinned.

Peter did too. "You randy mutt!" he accused him, punching him in the shoulder slightly.

Sirius' laughter boomed around the compartment. "I know, Wormtail," he said, putting his hands behind his head and staring at the ceiling dreamily. "I know."

-o-O-o-

"Unbelievable!" Hermione muttered to herself, exiting the girls' lavatory. "Perverted arseholes, the whole lot of them."

A voice came from her left. "As much as I like it when you insult my brother and his idiotic Gryffindor sidekicks, if you continue speaking to yourself, you'll end up at Saint Mungo's."

Hermione turned her head and sighed. "Good afternoon to you too, Regulus. I hope you had a nice summer." she said.

Regulus stepped out of the shadows. '_Does that guy always have to be lurking somewhere dark?_' she asked herself. "Nice, no. Eventful, yes." he smirked. "Learn the difference." he added, sneering.

She rolled her eyes. He was neatly shaved, as always, although shadows formed under his eyes, indicating lack of sleep. His clothes were impeccable, too, and his eyebrow was arched delicately, in a way that made him seem above all others. His grey eyes betrayed feelings, though, which were properly hidden behind his mask of a face.

"You're staring, Granger." he warned, and she averted his eyes immediately.

"If you were polite at all," she retorted, trying not to look put out by his remark. "You'd have asked me how my vacations have been."

"There is no need to. I know exactly how your vacations went." he told her unashamed. "You revised and passed you O.W.L.'s, you worked at that pathetic excuse for a bar, the Three Broomsticks, you had fun with your friends near the end and now here you are." he finished. She stared again.

"How would you know?" she asked.

He smirked. "Rumours fly, my dear, rumours fly." She looked at him suspiciously, and he laughed. "No, I'm kidding. I just got your last letter."

She frowned. "The one where I told you my work was hell?" she asked. "And about all my plans for the rest of the summer?"

"The very same." he admitted.

She gasped and hit his arm slightly. "You jerk!" she yelled. "Why the fuck didn't you answer?"

He was slightly surprised at her choice of language, but remained calm nevertheless. Besides, he wasn't going to tell her the _real _reason, which was that he'd been writhing in pain as he got branded with the Dark Mark. "I just couldn't be bothered." he answered, shrugging.

'_Bingo._' he thought as he saw her face become red with anger. '_Two birds with one stone. I get to hide the truth, and I make her mad. I am a genius._'

"You utter bastard!" she burst out. "I can't believe I spent my time writing to you and you just probably laid down in bed and thought '_Oh, fuck, it's the Mudblood again, I'm not answering this time, I'll just not answer and make her believe I got captured by Death Eaters and died_.'!"

He froze. "That's what you thought?" he asked softly.

She blushed. She had thought that. After all, Harry had mentioned, when he told her about Regulus' presence on the Black family tree, that he had died at a very young age, maybe sixteen or seventeen. So, of course she had been worried. Worried that she might be missing out on the fist murder she couldn't change.

Instead of telling him that, though, she just stared at her feet. "Granger," he said softly. "Why are you so worried about me?" When she didn't answer, he continued. "Why do you care about what I become when I've been nothing but an arse to you from the first time we met? I mean, I haven't exactly been nice to you or anything…"

She sighed and looked up. He looked really troubled. "I don't know." she said. "I have no bloody clue why I care so much, or why I care at all! I hate you, and yet…" she stared in his eyes. "And yet…"

She was at loss for words, but thankfully, he finished her sentence for her. "And yet you can't get me out of your mind. It's not exactly me, just that nagging voice that sounds like me and scares you to death."

She looked up at him. How did he know? During the whole summer, she had thought about his words '_It might just be your last._' Had he said them on purpose just to annoy her? Yet when she stared inside his light grey eyes, she knew he hadn't. He had been sincere. And that scared her even more.

"I guess," he finally said. "We can now both be officially called insane." he smiled slightly. Not his usual smirk, but a real, tempting smile that reflected the inside of his soul.

And there and then, in the Hogwarts Express, she realised that Regulus Arcturus Black wasn't evil. No, he was just alone. He needed somebody. A friend. Someone to confide in. To keep all his secrets.

He needed her.

"Yeah," she laughed breathily, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear nervously. "We've both gone totally bonkers."

"You more than me, of course." he added, cheekiness shining brightly in his eyes. "Mudblood." he added after a while. He didn't say it as an insult, more like a joke.

"Pure-blooded snob." she retorted.

"Bushy hair."

"Star-obsessed freak."

"Nerdy bookworm."

"Mummy's boy."

He smirked. "Touché."

They stayed there for a few minutes, neither of them saying anything, before she asked. "So… Truce?"

He nodded, trying to seem reluctant. "Truce… Hermione." he held out his hand.

She shook it. His fingers were unusually warm, for someone with such a pale face. "Truce it is, then… Regulus." She smiled.

He smiled back. "Yes, I know, I rather like my name too."

She laughed. And as they headed back to their respective compartments, they knew this was the beginning, if only the beginning, of a true friendship.

-o-O-o-

**Team Regulus, here you go. He got over his prejudices. Now, should I make him die… or not… Hmm… Leave a review and tell me what you think! Also, fell free to try and find the cartoon quote in there. If anyone finds it, I'll give them a preview of the next chapter… And they can have a virtual hug from me.**

**Also, to the person called 'Leo', you should get an account so I can answer you! :)  
**

**Next chapter: Classes start, trouble follows.**


	13. Fulgur

**Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters. Everything belongs to JK Rowling, and I'm merely allowed to play around with them. No copyright infringement is intended. **

**Yesterday, I came home from school (yes, I still go to school) and the number of reviews literally blew my mind. I got eleven for one chapter! Oh my gosh! Thank you to all those who reviewed, as well as thos who voted on my poll. I've decided to close it soon, so go and vote quickly! :)  
**

_Chapter 13_

-o-O-o-

James groaned. "Aw, brilliant. Double Transfiguration with Ravenclaw, then Potions with Slytherin and Herbology with Hufflepuff. Great morning. This afternoon, Defence Against the Dark Arts with Slytherin and Double Charms with Hufflepuff. "This," he announced, throwing his timetable across the table so Hermione caught it, "is why I hate N.E.W.T. level."

"Stop grumbling, James." Hermione scolded him, adding a spoonful of sugar to her coffee. "It's only Monday morning and you're already complaining. What will it be when you get to start Head Boy duty?" she asked teasingly.

"'Mione," he whimpered, holding his head in his hands. "You're not helping."

"It wasn't my intention." she declared, taking a sip of her beverage. "By the way, I can only think of how proud Lily will be when she sees you've been working hard."

His head shot up. "You think she will?" And with that, not awaiting her answer, he grabbed Peter by the collar and pulled him up. "Come on, Wormtail!" he said. "We don't want to be late for class!" and he ran away.

Just then, Sirius entered the Great Hall. She scanned her timetable and groaned too at the amount of classes she was taking. "Hey, beautiful." her boyfriend greeted her as he plopped down next to her. "What are doing?" he asked, trying to read over her shoulder.

"Checking out my timetable." she answered. "I have double Defence Against the Dark Arts with Slytherin, then Arithmancy with Ravenclaw, double lunch," she grinned. "History of Magic with Ravenclaw and Double Potions with Slytherin."

"Double lunch?" Sirius asked. "What are you going to do with double lunch?"

She smiled. "Homework." she answered.

He bent over and kissed her neck gently. "You know, I could always skip Herbology and we could do something slightly more interesting than homework." he kissed her neck again. "Something long," he moved a little higher and kissed her there. "Something hot," he kissed her just behind her ear. "Something wild," he kissed her jaw. "Something definitely loads more fun than any assignment any teacher could put us through." He moved so he was whispering directly in her ear. "So? What do you say?" he purred.

"Sirius," she sighed, pushing him away. He tried the puppy look but she wasn't falling for it. "I don't want you to fail your N.E.W.T.'s just because I distracted you. Besides," she added, gathering up her stuff. "I'm not in the mood."

And she left it to that, leaving behind a very confused Sirius who had just been rejected for the first time in his life.

-o-O-o-

After gathering up all her textbooks and quills in her bag, Hermione set off to the Defence Against the Dark Arts tower. She was eager to see how it looked in this timeline, and how it was decorated. Did the teachers only stay one year here too?

As she pondered on her question, she opened the door of the tower, only to find that she was not alone, as she usually was. Most of the time, nobody had arrived yet she came, yet here, in the second row, next to a window, sat Regulus Black.

'_Why do I feel as if he follows me?_' she asked herself, when she knew full well it wasn't the case.

He was reading a book and didn't even look up as she approached him. He did, however, greet her as she came near. "Good morning, Granger." he said, still staring at the black writing.

Instead of asking how he'd know she was there, she merely asked: "Are we back on last name basis now?"

He looked up from his book, shutting it and putting it back in his bag. When he looked up, he was smiling. "Fine." he conceded. "Good morning Hermione, I trust you slept well?"

"I did, thank you Regulus." she answered. "How about you?"

His smile didn't waver but something in his eyes shifted. "Troublesome dreams, I'm afraid." he answered. "Please," he added, gesturing towards the chair on his right. "Have a seat."

"Don't mind if I do." she answered, wincing as she put her overweight bag down next to the chair. Sitting down, she pulled out her stuff and placed them in front of her, before straightening.

"So," he said when she was finished, his own quill and parchment already in front of him. "What brings you here so early?"

"I like it." she answered simply, even though it wasn't the truth.

He scrutinised her for a second, before declaring. "You're lying."

She turned to him. "Excuse me, what?"

"You're lying." he repeated, as if it was the most normal thing on earth. "I know you're lying. You're avoiding eye contact, you're blushing, you breath is hitching… You're lying." She turned around so that she faced away from him. "Now, Hermione, tell me the truth: what brings you here so early?"

"Why do you care?" she snapped at him, turning around to see he was leaning into his hand.

He sighed. "And now you're on defensive mode." he added. "I'm not trying to hurt you, Hermione. I'm just asking a simple question. I don't even care whether you answer or not."

He just stared at her for a couple of minutes before she answered. "I'm scared." she admitted. "I'm constantly scared of being late. It's horrible. It's a compulsive behaviour. An obsession, if you prefer. Like getting good grades. It kills me, but I can't do anything about it." she explained.

She turned to face him. He was smiling. "See?" he asked. "It wasn't that difficult." She blushed, smiling slightly. He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, still leaning into his hand.

The door opened then, and all the rest of the students rushed in, although not followed by the teacher. Everyone stayed standing up, chatting actively about their holidays. The noise was getting on Hermione's nerves. Finally, the teacher arrived.

She was a very thin elderly woman with silver hair tied in a tight bun at the back of her head. She wore midnight blue robes peppered with little stars that glittered everywhere. "I will ignore that some of you were late," she said, setting books down on her desk. "If you will ignore that I was the latest."

This made Hermione smile and Regulus snigger.

Everyone sat in their chairs and the chatter slowly died down. Once it had completely vanished, the woman spoke up. "Good Morning, class." she said, in a voice that reminded her strongly of Professor McGonagall. "My name is Professor Greenmail, and I will be teaching you Defence this year. Unfortunately, my retirement age is going to be attained near July and I therefore will not be teaching you next year." Chatter had started again.

Professor Greenmail raised her wand and a bang echoed around the room, making everyone jump. She huffed.

"As I was saying, I will be teaching you Defence. We will now start with a simple oral interrogation on Dark spells and creatures. Who can tell me about the lightening curses?" Hermione raised her hand. "You, there," Professor Greenmail said, pointing to her. "What's you name?"

"Hermione Granger, Miss" Hermione replied politely, standing up.

The older woman nodded stiffly. "Very well, Miss Granger, what is it that you know about the lightening curses?"

"There are three, Miss." Hermione replied in a confident voice. "Three for three different intensities. First, there is _Fulgur Minima_, which give the victim a mild shock, similar to what Muggles like to call 'static electricity'." She stopped, unsure or not whether to continue.

Professor Greenmail nodded. "Go on." she said, with a slight wave of her hand.

Hermione took in a deep breath. "The second is simply _Fulgur_. The victim now has been shocked throughout their whole body, and may possibly lose consciousness for an hour, at the most. The last one," she gulped. "The last one is _Fulgur Maxima_. This curse is the most dangerous one, and the only one actually registered by the Ministry as a curse. It causes heart failure and, almost always, certain death." she finished glumly, setting herself back down.

"Very good, Miss Granger. Take ten points to Gryffindor." Professor Greenmail said, turning back to the board.

As she asked someone else about some random Dark creature, Regulus poked her side. "Hermione," he whispered when she didn't turn. "Are you alright?"

She nodded. "Yeah, it's just…" she didn't know whether she should finish her sentence. "There was a rather detailed description of how the experiments to come up with these curses were in the book… And a list of all the victims, with the dates and stuff."

He half-smiled in sympathy. "You should see the library at my place." he added after a while. "All these entrails expelling themselves and brains boiling inside their skulls… It's gross."

Hermione stared at him, before remembering the Time Travel books she needed from that library. "You know what, Regulus?" He looked at her questioningly. "I would love to go there."

He gave a short laugh. "What?" he whispered so that Professor Greenmail didn't hear them. "Are you a masochist or something?"

She shook her head. "No," she said. "I only enjoy stuffing my face with information."

He shook his head. "You're lying again." he scolded, his light grey eyes still boring into hers. "But whatever the reason, my parents would peel the skin off my back if I ever et anyone like you inside our house."

Hermione nodded. She remembered the painting of Sirius' mother when she went to Grimmauld Place: a shrieking madwoman.

"In any case," Regulus whispered. "We'd better listen. I want to see the look on Lupin's face when you also beat his N.E.W.T. results."

And as he chuckled silently to himself, Hermione wondered how the _hell_ he'd found out about her O.W.L.'s.

-o-O-o-

During her double lunch, Hermione took a trip to the library, to find out anything helpful about the Black family… and its traditional wards, for that matter. She was deep inside '_Oldest Household Protective Spells_', when a chair pulled back on her left.

She turned and saw Sirius sitting there. She sighed. "Hey Sirius." she greeted him. "Aren't you supposed to be in Herbology?"

He shook his head. "Peter has it covered." he looked up and put up the cutest face he could muster. "I just wanted to see you." he added, smiling.

However how much she thought he was adorable, she told herself she mustn't fall for it. She forced her voice to remain neutral. "So, you didn't have anything planned out?" she asked.

"Now that you mention it," he said, pulling his chair towards her. "I might have thought of a few things that I mentioned this morning. And now they're plaguing my thoughts."

She sighed. "And I might have mentioned this morning that we both had to study. And I'm sticking to that." she said, dosing her voice with a little venom.

He frowned. "But 'Mione," he whimpered, burying his nose in her neck like he did when he wanted something desperately. "I want to." He sounded so much like a wounded puppy all she wanted to do was cuddle him and make all his problems go away.

But instead, she held her ground. "I said no, Sirius." she said, her voice wavering slightly. He didn't answer, just whimpered and nuzzled her neck some more. She continued to read her book, ignoring his nuzzling and his wandering hands.

Unfortunately for her, his wondering hands became increasingly distracting, until they reached the point where she had to plunge her hand up her skirt to stop from doing wicked things to her. She was bright red as he smirked triumphantly. _Very_ wicked things indeed.

He wanted to start pleading again, but Madam Pince rounded a corner just then and whisper-yelled: "Mr. Black! I remind you that you have been banned from the library already and are no longer allowed to pass the entrance!"

Sirius groaned. He put his puppy look back on and asked his girlfriend: "Come with me?"

She smiled radiantly. "Not a chance." she answered, and Sirius left the library, cursing that old Squib for coming a minute early.

-o-O-o-

******OK, another quote contest. Who found the AVPS quote in this chapter? Good luck! Congratulations to _TheSpringLover_ who found the 'Despicable Me' quote last chapter! Hope you liked the preview! :)  
**

**Hope you all enjoyed that! Please review!**

**Next chapter: Sirius goes really naughty.**


	14. Downhill

**Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters. Everything belongs to JK Rowling, and I'm merely allowed to play around with them. No copyright infringement is intended. **

**And… Another Cartoon Quote Contest. This is becoming regular, I swear! :) Besides, you guys didn't find the AVPS quote last chapter, made by my favourite Starkid, Brian Holden! How can you guys not know them? I put up a link on my profile for those who want to watch there most famous piece: "A Very Potter Musical!"  
**

_Chapter 14_

-o-O-o-

The rest of the week passed uneventfully, except for the ton of homework everyone was being assigned. As a matter of fact, things were pretty boring until around Halloween. And, if she was honest with herself, Hermione would have preferred they stayed the in same routine.

Anyway, before we got that far, we've got to talk about the boring part. After two weeks of incessant pestering for sex, Sirius had gotten the jig and finally calmed down. It came abruptly, on a Tuesday morning; Sirius came in at breakfast, yawning and grumpy, not looking as though he had slept well.

He had kissed his girlfriend good morning and poured himself a cup of coffee. The entire table had stared, but he made no attempt to woo her into submission. Nor did he do it for the rest of the day. And week. And month.

"He probably resorted to masturbating." Remus had grunted when she had asked him. The pair of them were still not on speaking terms, but at least they made no comments when the other arrived. They still talked ill of the other when their back was turned, though.

"Who knows, maybe Sirius grew up… Just like James did." Lily had theorised. All of her thoughts literally revolved around James, now, and, if she was honest with herself, Hermione would admit it was getting on her nerves. Besides, she seriously doubted his ability to grow up, seeing as even in her own timeline, he threw tantrums like a little child.

In short, Hermione was worried. Worried about her boyfriend. And although she tried to hide it from everybody, one person could still see through her mask…

-o-O-o-

"Okay, I've waited long enough, what's wrong?" Regulus asked on a frisky Thursday morning as they headed to Herbology.

She gulped. "Nothing." she lied, turning to smile at him. "Nothing at all."

He rolled his eyes. "Don't give me that bullshit, Hermione. I know there's something wrong and I _will_ find out what."

She gulped. She had done a fairly good job of hiding her relationship with Sirius from Regulus. The outside world and their friends was something they rarely mentioned. Hermione disliked who Regulus hung out with and he respected that, and vice versa.

Besides, it hadn't been that hard to hide her relationship with Sirius Black. After all, they were only together in the Common Room or the Library, and all of the gossipers, that is to say, all the girls, refused to talk about them out of jealousy.

Hermione was torn. Regulus would find out soon enough anyway. "I err…" she started.

"Ooooh, I can sense this will not be pleasant." Regulus said, wincing.

She sighed. "No, it won't be." She looked up at him and found his face an imperturbable mask. Even his eyes were unusually stony. "I'm dating your brother." she admitted.

He stopped walking and she turned around. "Excuse me… What?" he asked, shocked and disbelieving.

She sighed, uncomfortable. "Sirius and I… We're a couple." she admitted, staring at her feet.

"What the fuck?" he lashed out at her. She took a few steps back, unprepared for the anger blowing up inside of him. He had always seemed calm and composed, but there, he was losing all control.

"Regulus, listen to me…" she tried, but he cut her.

"I don't want to listen to you, you slut!" the insult pieced through her heart as if he's thrown a dagger right through her. "And here I was, thinking that you were actually brainy when you were just shagging this insult to society behind my back!"

"No, Regulus, it wasn't like that, I swear, he didn't even know we hung out!" she pleaded desperately.

"And is that supposed to make me feel all better or something?" he bellowed. "Because I've got news for you, it didn't!" he breathed heavily for a few minutes, before muttering: "I am out of here."

He tried walking past her but she pulled his arm. "Regulus…" she said, tears threatening to overflow from her eyes. "Don't do this…"

His eyes were cold and unfeeling as he spat: "Let go of me, you filthy Mudblood." Her arm dropped back to her side in shock. "You're as worthless as a piece of shit." he added, before storming off.

That was the first time she had skipped class. After he'd left, she had gone back to Gryffindor Tower, blinking back all her tears. But when she passed the entrance and was greeted by Mary's worried gaze, everything spilt from her.

She spent an hour crying on her friend's shoulder, while Mary soothed her and rubbed her back. She told her everything, of course.

But as she wept herself dry, a small part of her brain asked her whether she would cry as much if Sirius and she ever broke up.

-o-O-o-

Then, when the Marauders came back, all Hell broke lose. Sirius had made death threats for the rest of the night, and nobody held him back. James and Remus both agreed with him, and Peter followed.

As a result, two good things came out: Remus and Sirius were once again united by their mutual hatred of Regulus, and Severus Snape was free of all pranks.

All four Marauders now defended Hermione's honour fiercely, and Regulus found himself constantly in the Hospital Wing. The first time that happened had been on Hermione's seventeenth birthday, the day after her and Regulus had fallen apart.

Sirius had come to her at lunch time, a huge grin plastered on his face. He had placed his hands above her eyes to prevent all cheating and had walked her to the Hospital Wing. There, he had removed them with a little: "Ta-daah!" and Hermione had been greeted with the sight of Regulus, unconscious, sporting bright neon green hair and warts. James, Remus and Peter were there, and at Sirius' signal, they had all started singing: "Happy Birthday."

She had giggled slightly, which had made Sirius' day. And suddenly she wondered if she had a thing for Black's.

-o-O-o-

Around the beginning of October, the Marauders stopped pranks altogether. They had, for the most part, started studying seriously except for, pardon the pun, Sirius himself.

Sirius, it seemed, just liked to wonder on the castle on his own during the day, and copy Remus' homework during the night. He didn't tell her what it was that he did, but since the others approved of it, she thought it might just have something to do with the Marauders' Map.

In any case, she no longer sat next to Regulus in class. She now sat next to Mary, whom she found was one of the best things that happened since she entered the timeline.

She managed to find, after a couple weeks of digging, that Mary had quite a soft spot for Remus, and Hermione encouraged her to talk to him about it. Mary had blushed and turned away, but the next day, the pair of them just couldn't keep their eyes off each other.

Around the fifteenth, Hermione started getting worried. Remus and Mary had now been dating for over two weeks and were still as passionate as ever. However, she and Sirius were going absolutely no where. It was like if they were an engine and they had run out of fuel.

Remus and Sirius had totally stopped being enemies once the former was no longer single, which led Hermione to think that they had fallen apart because of a girl. In any case, the Marauders were now much the same as when she had known them, except they, with the exception of Peter, all had a girl. Although James and Lily weren't officially together yet, they had gone together to Hogsmeade and it had, apparently, gone very well… for both of them.

When Hermione had asked James about Peter's lack of girlfriend, he had laughed and declared. "Peter? Well… How could I put it… Let's just say he plays for the other team."

Both of them had giggled slightly and he was not mentioned since.

-o-O-o-

It was the day before Halloween that things started going downhill.

At first, Hermione was disappointed because Sirius hadn't planned anything special for the two of them, but she got over it. She spent most of her day in the library with Remus, but when Mary had arrived, she had left so as to leave them a little privacy.

As she walked to the Gryffindor Tower, a book fell out from her bag just as she rounded a corner. She stopped to pick it up and heard a peculiar noise. I sounded like an animal grunting.

She dropped her bag and walked towards the source of the noise, which turned out to be a broom cupboard. She blushed as she heard the noise again and realised what must have been going on in there. She went to retrieve her bag and run away but froze as she heard someone's name being whispered.

"_Sirius…_" the voice moaned. It sounded horribly feminine.

Horror took hold of her as she slowly approached the door. The noises continued, and Hermione's hand stopped at the doorknob. She was afraid of what she was going to see. Suddenly, a wave of bravery overcame her and she wrenched the door open.

Sirius was there, alright. And he wasn't alone. He and Marlene McKinnon were half naked, making out passionately and desperately groping at each other. They didn't even notice she had caught them.

A sudden fire burned inside her, a fire of not only anger, but also shame that she hadn't seen any of this coming. She opened her back and pulled out a full bottle of inerasable black ink.

She uncorked it and threw the whole thing at the pair. The broke apart immediately, ink pouring down their faces, and Sirius paled significantly at the sight of his furious girlfriend at the doorway. "Hermione…" he croaked.

"You lying, cheating, unfaithful creep!" she yelled. "I don't want you to come near me ever again!" And with that, she stormed off, picking up her bag after her.

"Hermione, wait!" he called, and she started running. Unfortunately, he was faster than her and had no bag to slow him down, and so he caught up easily. "Hermione." he panted. "Please… Let me explain…"

"Explain what?" she snapped. "That you were tired of waiting? That you left hand had cramps? You were gong to try to shift the blame on me, weren't you?"

His eyes darkened. "A man has needs…" he tried, but she just laughed.

"I knew you were going to say that!" she said icily. "You're not a man, Sirius Black; you're nothing but a child!" He looked murderous. "Now, go and fulfil you 'needs'," She made the quotation marks with her fingers. "With one of your whores. We are done."

"I'm not a child!" he yelled at her when her back was turned.

She didn't turn back. "No, you're right. You're a bitch. A slut. A man whore, that's what you are. And I'm not wasting any more time with someone like you."

She started walking again. Things went very fast then.

She heard him move and turned around to face him, only to find that he had his wand pointed straight at her face. She could do nothing but stare in horror as he uttered the word.

"_Fulgur._"

-o-O-o-

**Bwahaha! Evil cliffhanger! You can't blame me, I had to do it at least once. :p**

**For those who think Sirius is out of character, I re-read OoOP, and noticed he always takes rash action when angered... I'm not saying he doesn't regret it though!**

**Next chapter: Someone we haven't seen yet comes in. And what follows.**


	15. How?

**Disclaimer:**** Sadly, I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters. Everything belongs to JK Rowling, and I'm merely allowed to play around with them. No copyright infringement is intended. **

**I think I'm not going to write cliffhangers anymore bacause you review less when I do them... Out of grudge, maybe? Anyway, so the awaited next chapter: Here we go! :) **

_Chapter 15_

-o-O-o-

"_Obturatio Maxima!_"

A light blue shield materialised in front of Hermione, deflecting the bright yellow curse that sped from Sirius' wand. It deflected and hit its caster while she stared, horrified.

Sirius gave a hard spasm, starting from his feet and going to his head. His eyes rolled back and he fell to the floor, unconscious.

Hermione turned and looked at her saviour, intending to thank him, but gasping instead.

Severus Snape stood there, wand raised, glaring angrily at the body which, a few minutes earlier, had been her boyfriend. He turned to look at her. "Are you okay?" he asked, still glaring.

"I, err… Yes, I'm fine…" she stuttered, trying to regain her composure. "Thank you." she added after a second thought, remembering her manners.

"Don't thank me." he spat, surprising her with the amount of venom in his voice. "I didn't do it for you."

She raised her eyebrow. "Oh, really?" she asked, slowly returning back to her normal self. "Who did you do it for, then?"

He didn't answer, just glared some more at Sirius. His mouth was slightly parted, and some drool, mixed with blood, made its way out of the corner of his mouth and onto the floor.

"We should bring him to the Hospital Wing, don't you think?" she asked softly.

She didn't know whether he had nodded or not, but since his head bobbed a little, she assumed he had.

She pulled out her wand and muttered a levitation charm, and Sirius' limp body lifted from the ground. She walked towards the staircase until she realised Snape wasn't following. "Well?" she asked, turning around to face him. "Aren't you coming?"

He looked up, his greasy hair falling into his eyes. "For what?" he asked, with slightly less venom this time.

She rolled her eyes. "To explain, of course." she said as if it was the most obvious thing on earth. He walked towards her and they started climbing the stairs. "Besides," she added. "I doubt you would really have left me alone.

He froze. "What do you mean?" he asked, his voice wavering slightly in stress.

"Who asked you to follow me, Snape?" she whispered. "Who wants to know my every move? Who's taken such an interest?"

He gulped. "I am here of my own accord." he told her.

She laughed slightly. "I'm sure of that too, but at first you weren't. You were reluctant, then you began to grow less bored of me as you noticed something that spiked your curiosity… Do you think I'm hiding something?"

He stared at her. "I'm sure you do." he declared after a while.

She smiled. "It would do you good to learn Occlumency, one of these days. It might help you in the future."

"You're a-" he started asking, but she cut him.

"No, but if you're ever going to work undercover, you will need mind barriers as strong as you can possibly get." she said.

He nodded. They didn't speak until they arrived at the Hospital Wing. There, Hermione asked to speak with Madam Pomfrey privately, so no one could overhear what had just transpired between the two Gryffindors.

She was just finishing her story when she heard the sound of an argument break out. She exited the office, soon followed by the matron.

"-the fuck have you done to my friend, Snivellus?" she heard James bellow.

"Only what he deserved, Potter." she heard Severus sneer.

"Deserved? Why you…" She arrived just in time to see him pull out his wand.

"Stop!" she called out.

James lowered his wand, his hazel eyes mirroring the confusion he felt. "'Mione?" he asked. "What are you doing here?"

She ignored his question. "Snape is right, James. Sirius deserved what he got." she said.

"What the… Hermione I don't get it. Why do you side with Snivellus if you and Sirius…"

"That's just it, James." she declared. "Sirius and I are no longer together."

James stared, dumbstruck. "What?" he asked, disbelieving. "But, 'Mione, he's been nothing but perfect for the last two months, always with you, always worshipping you…"

"Sirius was fucking Marlene McKinnon behind my back." she finished gravely.

James stared at her in awe. They stayed like that for a couple of minutes before he asked. "What did he say for himself?"

She looked up at him. He was glaring at Sirius' body coldly. "He said," she gave a short laugh. "I quote: 'A man has needs, Hermione.'"

"Bullshit." James said. He looked back up at her. "Bullshit." he repeated. "I don't hear Remus complaining to Mary, and I know for a fact they haven't done it yet." He laughed. "Hell, Lily and I aren't even together yet and I haven't done it."

She giggled. "James Potter, are you a virgin?"

He smirked. "Yeah, I am."

Snape shook his head. "Ugh… Too much information overload, Potter!" he groaned.

James looked back at Sirius. "Anyway, what happened to him? What curse did you use, Snivellus?"

Snape sneered again. "As a matter of fact, I only shielded Granger. Black was the one who shot the curse."

James looked stunned. "_Sirius_ tried to curse _Hermione_?" he asked. This day was getting worse and worse for him.

Hermione nodded. "He was mad at me because I called him a man whore and a child and…" she gave a dry sob. "He tried to use the lightening curse on me."

She realised how close she had come to being in a very bad shape indeed and started sobbing helplessly. James walked over to her and embraced her like he would a sister, clutching her to his chest and murmuring soothing words as she proclaimed her hate for Sirius Black.

Severus Snape watched as James comforted Hermione, deciding that this cruel bastard deserved credit: he did have a heart after all.

-o-O-o-

The earlier stage amongst Hermione's friends when they all hated Regulus had now transformed in a stage where they all hated Sirius.

He had come back the following day, apologising for a full hour to Hermione's feet, begging her to take him back, under any cost. He expressed all his regret to her, but she wasn't having any of it. The whole of Gryffindor house agreed with her, too, although no one expressed it verbally.

No one, that is, except Lily Evans.

Lily had been furious after Sirius, and had yelled at him for over half an hour. "-CAN'T BELIEVE YOU HAD THE NERVE TO DO THAT! HERMIONE IS SUCH A SWEET GIRL AND SHE NEVER DID ANYTHING WRONG! AND CURSING HER?! WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU THINKING YOU PIG-FACED BLUBBERING IDIOT?! IF SHE EVEN ALLOWS YOU TO SEE HER FACE AGAIN YOU SHOULD BE CONSIDERED THE LUCKIEST MAN ON EARTH YOU LITTLE PIECE OF DIRT! AND WITH _MARLENE_?! CHEATING ON HER WITH A-"

You get the picture. And the most amazing thing was that she still had voice after that.

The day after that was Halloween, and Sirius spent the day finding spiders in his soup, Flobberworms in his pudding and even a baby Fire-Crab down his…

At the end of the day, he went to sleep, only to find his pillow filled with Dungbombs and a note pinned to it: '_With the compliments of Misters Moony, Wormtail and Prongs._'

-o-O-o-

After a few weeks, thankfully, the pranks on Sirius stopped. Those on Marlene continued, however, and she was often seen with '_Slut_' written on her back or similar things like that.

Sirius took that as an opportunity to start afresh. His world now revolved around getting Hermione back, and he used every single opportunity possible to achieve this.

He followed a few feet back behind her every time she headed to class, occasionally throwing a rose in her hair or slipping a poem between the pages of her book.

Even though he wasn't totally forgiven, the Marauders had stopped ignoring him and now talked to him more, too. They now no longer refused to tell him the weather and such, and Peter had actually talked to him for an hour, about Hermione, of course.

Because Sirius was so hell bent on getting Hermione back, it dawned on the whole of Gryffindor house that he seriously had realised his actions and was prepared to do anything to get himself forgiven.

By December, Sirius was back to normal with everyone… Except for Hermione.

She refused every single advance he made on her. Finally, tired of being ignored, Sirius decided to strike a huge blow.

-o-O-o-

It was a chilly Wednesday morning, and Hermione was heading off to Transfiguration, when Sirius walked out of a dark corridor. "Hermione," he said. "I need to talk to you."

"Well_ I_ don't want to talk to you." she huffed and tried to push past him, but he wouldn't budge.

"Please." he said. She looked up to his silver grey eyes. "Please, just… Just listen to me, alright?"

He looked so desperate that, besides the fear and anger at him that she felt, she still wanted to pull him in her arms and cuddle him until he felt all better. She sighed. "I guess I could skip Transfiguration…" He beamed. "But it's just this once!" she warned. "I am never skipping class for you again!"

He shook his head. "Come on, let's go!" he said, taking her hand.

"Wait… What?" she asked.

"I've made you a surprise!" he announced, his eyes gleaming. "But it's not here, so we're going to have to go!"

She looked unsure, but nodded, although somewhat reluctantly. Sirius pulled at her hand and they both broke out in a slow jog, until they reached the seventh floor. "Sirius, what…?" she started to ask, but as she saw a wooden door, materialise in front of her, she suddenly realised where she was. "The Room of Requirement…" she murmured, but thankfully, Sirius didn't hear.

He pushed the doors open and motioned for her to come in. Inside, all she could see was a simple room, much like the Gryffindor Common Room, except with fewer armchairs. In fact, there was only a sofa, and some sort of podium, covered with red velvet. There was also, she noticed with a jump, a guitar.

She gulped. "What's all this?" she asked.

"This," Sirius said, smiling and gesturing to the whole room. "Is my apology." He nodded towards the sofa. "Could you sit down… Please?"

She did as she was told, still eyeing him suspiciously.

He gulped too. "Okay," he started. "I figured, since you wouldn't listen to my words, I'd make you listen to words I chose, but that are not mine." He summoned the guitar to his hand and started fiddling with the strings, before looking back up at her. "So… This is a Muggle song, as a tribute to you heritage."

He fiddled with the strings some more before he started playing. It wasn't long before he started singing:

_Oh, oh, oh, oh, I have been searching for your touch, unlike any touch I've ever known. And I haven't thought about you much 'til I'm broken down and all alone._

_Oh, oh, oh, oh, No, I don't understand the meaning of love, I do not mind if I die trying. Oh, oh, oh, oh, Took it for granted when you lifted me up._

_I'm asking for your help, I am going through hell, afraid nothing can save me but the sound of your voice. You cut out all the knots, and now that I can see the mistake so clearly now, I'd kill if I could take you back._

_But how? But how? _

_I can feel it my guts, what's going on in hell now. Don't patronise me with lies, I'm a man be a woman now._

_Oh, oh, oh, oh, I have been bound by the shackles of love and I don't mind if I die tied up. Oh, oh, oh, oh, Took it for granted when you lifted me up._

_I'm asking for your help, I am going through hell, afraid nothing can save me but the sound of your voice. You cut out all the knots, and now that I can see the mistake so clearly now, I'd kill if I could take you back._

_But how? But how? But how? But how?_

_Oh, yeah._

_Why must we be so ugly? Please do not think ill of me. Why does the one you love become the one who makes you want to cry? Why? Why? Why?_

_How?_

_No I don't understand the meaning of love, I do not mind if I die trying. I do not mind if I die trying. I do not mind if I die trying._

He finished the last few chords and looked back up at her. Her eyes were glistening in tears. "I'll do anything, Hermione." he whispered, putting his guitar down. He walked over to the sofa and took her chin between his thumb and forefinger. He stared into her chocolate brown eyes and whispered: "I love you."

She froze. The tears stopped coming, and suddenly she looked angry. Not angry but… frustrated. She shook her head. "That's just it, Sirius, you don't love me." He tried to rebuke her but she cut him before he had a chance to utter a word. "You don't love me." she repeated. "You fancy me, you care for me, you're hopelessly infatuated with me but you _don't love me_."

With her last words, her realised it was not him she was trying to convince, but herself. "I love you, Hermione, and however how much you'll try to deny it, it'll always come back running to you… Just like I will."

And with these words, Sirius Orion Black left the room and Hermione was left alone, with just her schoolbag and a guitar to keep her company.

-o-O-o-

**Just… Please review. I felt really bad about this chapter. Does anyone know what song Sirius sang? :) Hehehe… My poll is still open, for all those who want Sirius and Hermione back together… Or not. :p**

**As always, I love you guys! Thanks for all the follows, reviews and, last but not least, all the love! :D **

**Now, I'm awefully sorry, but I'm feeling ill and I'm not sure I can update tomorrow... which is rather sad because... Well... Look down. **

**Next Chapter: Someone brutally comes back in Hermione's life... By an unexpected way. **


	16. Mistletoe

**Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters. Everything belongs to JK Rowling, and I'm merely allowed to play around with them. No copyright infringement is intended. **

_Chapter 16_

-o-O-o-

Sirius stopped stalking her after the 'Room of Requirement incident', or so she liked to call it in her head. Things returned to normal.

No Sirius.

No Regulus.

Normal was rather boring, though.

Professor Dumbledore apparently thought the same thing as she did, because he ordered enchanted mistletoe to be put all around the castle. It was fun for most people, those who only stood watching, but for those to whom it happened, happiness was rather limited.

Especially when late to first period, Potions, because of a faulty alarm clock. Of course, if you tried to pass by little corridors and secret passage ways full of spiders, cockroaches and other little beasts, it was even worse.

When it happens with someone you haven't talked to in precisely three months, there's no word for it.

Yet it happened to Hermione.

She cursed her ill luck as she passed behind the tapestry representing six unicorns, desperately trying to make it to Potions in time. She had never been late for class, and it wasn't going to start now. She tripped over her bag as she came out on the other side, only a couple staircases away from the Potions' tower.

Unfortunately for her, Fate must have had some sort of grudge with her, because as she rounded the corner to the last flight of stairs, she hit some sort of invisible barrier and bounced off it, landing hard on… Her back?

She turned around and groaned internally. Just who she didn't want to see. He seemed to be in the same position as her, glaring at her through his light grey eyes.

"What do you think you're doing?" Regulus Black hissed at her.

She looked up at him, shocked. The barrier pushed her towards him so that their chests were almost touching. Well, his chest touching her face. "Me?" she asked. "I should be the one to ask what you're doing."

He glared at her. Something moved in the corner of her eye and she looked up. She paled significantly. A single branch of mistletoe curled itself around a chandelier and imprisoned the two people underneath within its barrier.

"Shit." she mumbled.

Regulus snorted. "Yeah, I get what you mean. Now if you'd lift that enchantment so we can go to Potions' class-"

"It's not me!" she snapped at him, before pointing at the ceiling.

He paled too, and mumbled: "Shit."

"Took the word right out of my mouth!" she said sarcastically.

He looked at her and glared. "I'm not doing anything with you!" he hissed.

She scoffed. "Neither am I!" she claimed. "We'll just have to wait for a teacher to come and free us." They waited for over ten minutes, before Hermione felt something push against her back. She looked at Regulus and saw that he appeared to be pushed too. "What's happening?" she shrieked, panicking.

"It appears that the barriers are going to push us together until we do it." he said, forgetting to sneer as he felt himself being pushed against Hermione.

"Regulus," she gulped. "I'm afraid we're going to have to…"

"No!" he yelled, spreading his arms as if to make the barriers slow down, which they didn't, of course. "I am not touching something my brother's been thrusting his tongue down mere minutes ago!"

She tried to slap him, but her hand was stuck between his shirt and hers. Instead, she settled with shouting: "You idiot! Do you never listen to what anyone says?"

He found the strength to smirk as he answered: "I am completely immune to gossip."

"Sirius and I broke up!" she bellowed. He froze and something in his eyes changed. "We broke up months ago, but you were too stubborn and acting as if you had your wand stuck up your arse that-"

He kissed her.

One would say it was a nice way of ending an argument, and for a second, both did too. Her eyes fluttered shut as his lips moved against hers slowly, tantalisingly, until she started to respond. Neither noticed that the barrier was receding, too caught up in their action. When they were free of movement once more, Hermione's hands moved behind his neck of their own accord, twirling her fingers in his raven black locks.

His tongue brushed her lips slightly, and she parted them, allowing him access to her mouth. He probed around for a while, slipping his hands to the small of her back, until her shy tongue probed at him too. The two of them battled for a while, their breaths now coming in short pants and each pulling the other even closer.

It was no longer sparks she had in her lower belly, like she did while kissing Sirius, it was an actual bonfire. She was burning for more and it didn't even bother her. Her hands began massaging his scalp and he gave a long, loud moan into her mouth.

That was when she realised what she was doing.

Her eyes shot open and she pushed his away brutally. '_What do you think you're doing?!_' a little voice in the back of her brain asked. '_You were enjoying this!_' She shook her head, silently telling the little voice to shut up.

She looked up and saw Regulus, a confused look marring his face. She figured his probably reflected hers. His lips were slightly swollen, and his tongue kept darting out to wet them. Suddenly, she wanted to kiss the living daylights out of him again.

She was mentally screaming at her little voice as he cleared his throat. "So…" he started awkwardly. "Friends again… I guess?"

It didn't take a genius to figure out that his 'I guess.' actually meant 'I hope.' She waited a little, considering the offer, before nodding. "Friends again." she confirmed.

He nodded, his face going slightly pink. "So… Err… Hermione…" She realised she actually like the sound of her name rolling off his tongue. '_Will you shut the fuck up?!_' she asked the little voice. He cleared his throat and she turned her attention back to him. "Should we go?" he asked her.

She nodded. "Lead the way." she told him softly. He turned around and headed for the corridor. "Erm… Regulus?" It felt slightly weird to call him by his first name once again. He turned around and looked at her questioningly. "The classroom is that way." she said, pointing to the mounting staircase.

He blushed bright again. "Yes… Erm… Of course, it's just that… We did take some time and…" She blushed too. "I bet class is going to be over soon… So we might as well go… I dunno…" He scratched the back of his head. "To the library?" he ended it as a question, sounding unsure of where to go.

Her eyes sparkled. "To the library, it is then." she declared, setting off down the corridor, Regulus at her tail.

-o-O-o-

_She gave a slight whimper as their bodies moved together, slick with sweat and panting heavily. He had both of her hands pinned above her head and was now sucking at her special spot on her neck, all the while moving inside her. The bonfire at the pit of her belly was more like fireworks, now, shooting all around the place and making her produce noises she'd never known she could make._

_His dark hair tickled her chin, but she hardly cared, his movement being more than enough of a distraction. She wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him closer, wanting more contact. She moaned loudly as he hit a spot inside her, sending pleasant shivers up and down her body._

_He looked up from her neck and stared directly into her eyes. His light grey orbs showed so many emotions as he whispered her name:_

"_Hermione."_

She shot up with a jolt, her pyjamas stuck to her body with sweat, her breath short and laboured.

She ran a hand through her hair as she realised that it had been a dream. She groaned slightly as she noticed the stickiness between her legs. She hadn't known dreams could elicit that sort of reaction from her.

She moved her legs so that they were outside her bed, placing her head in her hands as she tried to calm herself down. '_I just had a wet dream._' she told herself. '_A wet dream about Regulus, of all people._'

She inhaled slowly and exhaled, trying desperately to steady her heartbeat. Something shifted in front of her. She saw a figure move and ask: "Hermione? What's happening?"

She turned to look at the window and noticed how dark it was. It must have been in the early hours of the morning, not much later. The figure in front of her shifted and stood up, before sitting back down on Hermione's bed. It was Mary.

She started rubbing soothing circles in her back. "Are you alright?" she asked softly. "Was it a nightmare?" Hermione shook her head. Mary frowned. "You should probably take a shower." she said, picking one of Hermione's sweaty curls and examining it.

Hermione nodded, before standing up and moving to the next door bathroom. She stripped and stepped into the shower, turning the water to its coldest temperature.

The icy droplets cleared her mind, and she was once again able to think properly. She had had this dream because Regulus kissed her, and nothing more. She had been surprised at his intensity and had a dream about it. It did not mean, not in any way, that she harboured secret feeling for him or anything of the sort. She was just confused. Period.

Because of him.

She groaned and turned the shower off, wrapping herself in a fluffy towel and bushing her wet hair.

After they had gone to the library, both had headed to their respective classes and had not seen each other since. End of story. She had absolutely no reason to think about him. Okay, their time had been awkward, neither of them mentioning the kiss in their conversation, managing to avoid it altogether.

She yanked her hair brush through her curls in frustration, breaking a knot that had formed there. '_What about Sirius?_' the little voice asked.

"What about him?" she said out loud, although she knew perfectly well the answer. Did she have a wet dream because she needed a rebound after Sirius? She shook her head; Sirius and she had broken up a long time ago, if she had needed a rebound, it would have been just after.

Sirius meant nothing to her anymore. He was just a friend. Nothing more, but nothing less.

She stepped out of the bathroom, noting that Mary was still sitting on her bed and waiting. When she saw Hermione, she looked at her and asked: "So?"

Hermione sat down next to her friend. "So what?" she asked.

A smile tugged at Mary's lips. "So, if it wasn't a nightmare, what was it? A bad dream?"

Hermione shifted her head from side to side. "You could say that." she answered vaguely.

Mary rolled her eyes. "Come on, Hermione, you know you can tell me." she coaxed, pushing her friend's shoulder to the side slightly.

Hermione sighed. "It was… A wet dream."

Mary froze. "You mean you dreamt of you… doing you-know-what?" she asked softly. Hermione simply nodded. Mary put her hands to her mouth and whispered: "Oh my God." she repeated that over and over for a few minutes before she asked, putting her hand back on Hermione's shoulder: "Starring who?"

"Well, obviously me," she said, to which Mary nodded. "And… Well… Regulus Black."

Mary shook her head. "Excuse me, I'm pretty sure I misheard." she said.

"I had a wet dream starring Regulus Black;" Hermione confirmed, turning her small frame towards her now praying again Gryffindor friend.

"_Regulus_?" she asked again. "But I thought you and him…"

"Weren't getting along." Hermione finished for her. "I know. But we were both late to Potions and we got stuck under the mistletoe and… Things happened." she explained.

Mary stared at her like if she was sporting a second nose. "You snogged Regulus Black?" she asked, rather loudly.

"Shhhh!" Hermione said, looking around to see any changes. She noted none and therefore continued. "If you want me to be honest," she started. "He snogged me." she admitted.

After another little prayer, Mary asked: "And how do you feel about this?"

Hermione closed her eyes. "I don't know." she said truthfully. "I honestly don't know. I mean I'm pretty sure I don't have feelings for him, yet when we kissed, it was like…"

"Ka-Boom." Mary finished for her. "Remus and I are the same." she admitted when Hermione looked at her strangely.

Hermione shook her head. "Regulus and I… Hell, there isn't even a Regulus and I, but what I can tell you is that we're not the same. There's no love between us like there is between you." she tried to explain.

"But there is mutual attraction." Mary reflected.

Hermione laughed. "Mutual?" she asked, snorting slightly. "I'm the ugliest girl on Earth!" she said, to which Mary shook her head.

"Remus admitted to me that he and Sirius had a fight over you, James was attracted to you when you first moved here… Hell, I bet even Snape liked you at one point, as he saved you from the lightening curse!" Hermione tried to rebuke her, but she cut her. "It's not because you don't see your own beauty that no one does either. You're beautiful, Hermione, never forget that."

And Mary left it to that. Both girls slipped inside their beds after that, none of them slipping in inappropriate dreams. Neither knew that someone else was having a difficult night at that time.

-o-O-o-

**Yay! I updated! :) I managed to, despite that urge to puke every half hour or so!**

**Please review, I love those! Like I love you guys! Go Team Regulus! Make yourself known! *Waves a flag in the air with 'GO REGULUS!' written on it*  
**

**Next chapter: What else happens during that night, and who has trouble sleeping.**


	17. What Kind of Fun?

**Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters. Everything belongs to JK Rowling, and I'm merely allowed to play around with them. No copyright infringement is intended. **

**Yay! Another 'full Regulus' chapter! I enjoy writing those as they give us a glimpse of what being a Death Eater is like… Anyway, I sincerely hope you enjoy, as always, please review! :)**

_Chapter 17_

-o-O-o-

Regulus listened to Macnair blabber on for a few minutes before interrupting him: "So, where are we going?"

He grinned, flicking his wrist so his wand ended up in his hand. "We're going to have some fun." he said.

They walked down the dark alley for a few more minutes before Regulus asked: "What kind of fun?" He had a hunch on what it might be, but wanted to make sure.

"Oh, amazing fun." Macnair chuckled. "We'll start with Muggles, they're weaker and easier to manipulate. Oh, I almost forgot!" He stopped dead on his tracks, and the younger man did too. He looked at his partner questioningly. "Give me your wand."

Regulus took a step back, unsure. "Why?" he asked cautiously.

Macnair just held out his hand at him, waiting. "You are not to ask questions. I am the senior member of this party and therefore you must respect me. Understand?" Regulus nodded stiffly, not at all happy about the situation. "Good. Now pass me your wand."

Regulus did as he was told, glaring at the floor as if it was its entire fault. Macnair took it and muttered a few spells. The wand glowed with a strange greyish green colour before he handed it back. Regulus took it and asked: "What have you done with it?"

Macnair, obviously proud that he had mastered the spell, couldn't help but boast: "I made it Untraceable. No spell that you will ever cast will ever trace back to the ministry. It's as if your wand was unregistered."

Regulus nodded, stowed his wand back in his cloak pocket and the two men started walking again. Macnair began ranting about that witch whose hair he had burned and whose toes he had boiled while Regulus lost himself in his thoughts. Unregistered wands were illegal and very expensive on the black market. His wand was registered, technically, as he had bought it at Ollivander's.

He smiled at the memory. Macnair thought that it was his story that was making the rookie smile so much so he put in: "Don't worry, you'll be able to do it soon enough!"

Regulus muttered a "Yeah, yeah." as he replayed the scene inside his head.

"_Maybe you're a Squib after all, Reg!" Sirius taunted his brother as his seventeenth attempt to find a wand failed._

"_No I'm not!" Regulus yelled. "I am not a Squib!" He has tears of rage in his eyes as Ollivander came back from his storage place, carrying a box._

_Regulus sniffled and wiped his eyes on his sleeve as Walburga scolded: "Sirius! Stop winding up your little brother like that! He will find a wand and will upload our family tradition, unlike you, you worthless piece of scum!"_

_The wandmaker ignored the endless ranting of the Black matron and passed the box on to her youngest son. "Here." he whispered soothingly. "This one is very special. It holds tremendous power. Twelve and a half inches, English oak, dragon heartstring. Reasonably supple." He pulled the wand out of its box and placed it in the small boy's hand._

_He straightened as Regulus stared in awe at the piece of wood in his hand. It was truly beautiful. He turned it around to examine each aspect of the reddish-brown wand, finding it absolutely flawless. He waved it once, and immediately felt its reaction. Intense, but not unpleasant, warmth started at his heart, spreading through his arm and out through the tip of the wand, forming a shower of green sparks. _

_Sirius stared at his brother, mouth gaping open like that of a fish out of the water. Regulus grinned and Ollivander chuckled. "Well," he said. "It looks like that will be seventeen Galleons."_

_After his mother had paid for the wand, they left the shop, and not even Sirius had something to say. Regulus' hand clenched around it, relishing the somehow warm feeling he found there, as if the material was alive. The wand felt good in his hand, as if it had been made to fit there._

_It was really and truly his._

_And for the first, but not the last, time in his life, Regulus sneered in superiority._

And now, over five years later, Regulus sneered again, his nose up and his eyebrow arched delicately like only he could do it, as they rounded a corner. Macnair had stopped talking, he noticed, and was glad for it. They entered a Muggle house and climbed up the stairs.

Suddenly, Regulus felt slightly sick. He no longer wanted to be on this expedition. As they climbed some stairs, he whispered: "Are you sure the Dark Lord's alright with this?"

Macnair stopped and turned around to face him, a sloppy grin on his face. "He's the one that commanded me to bring you along." he reminded him. "You're not getting cold feet, are you?" Macnair chuckled at his partner fright, obviously amused.

Regulus glared at him. "No, of course not. Me? Back out? You've gotta be pulling my leg." Macnair snorted and they stared climbing the stairs some more. They ended up in a corridor, leading to four different doors. "Great." Regulus mumbled. "How do we know which one's the right one?"

Macnair shushed him, placing his index finger on his lips. They stayed like that for a few minutes until they heard a snore come from the door directly on their left. He grinned. "That's how you do it." he whispered, before pulling the door open.

A middle aged man was sleeping on his bed, curled around a woman, one who was probably his wife. She had long, dark auburn hair that spread across the man's chest as she breathed evenly, evidently deep in her slumber. The man's arm was slung around her waist, pressing her towards his rather large belly. His practically bald head rested peacefully on his pillow and he emitted a snore every now and then, sometimes making the bed quiver.

Macnair laughed. "Let's wake them up, shall we?" he told Regulus. Before the latter could answer, he continued. "The Cruciatus curse should do the job, don't you think? You take the man, I'll take the woman."

They placed each other on opposite sides of the bed, wands pointed at their victims. Macnair held up his hand. When he let it down, both men yelled: "_Crucio_!" The Muggles' eyes shot open and blood curling screams echoed around the house. Regulus, feeling sick, looked up at Macnair, only to find him giggling uncontrollably. They held the curse for a couple of minutes, before they signalled each other and broke it.

Macnair was still laughing as the Muggles inhaled. Both started sobbing. Regulus was doing whatever he could to stop himself from running from the house. When he had calmed down slightly, Macnair glared at the shaking couple. "You're going to pay." he told them, hatred in his voice.

The man shook and turned to the two Death Eaters. "For what?" he asked. "We haven't done anything? What sort of spell did you put us under?"

Macnair gave an evil smile, displaying his crooked teeth. "For bestowing your filthy presence upon the ground that rightfully belongs to us." he sneered.

The man sat up. "Listen here, son-" But he never got to finish his sentence.

Macnair swished his wand and the man gulped. He fell off the bed and onto the floor, his head detaching itself from the rest in the process. The woman screamed as her husband's body gave a sharp jerk without its brain's command and started to devoid itself of all its blood.

Regulus watched as the thick, dark red liquid poured from the corpse with loud _glug _sounds. Blood poured all over the floorboard, forming a uniform stain that expanded rapidly. The head's eyes were fixed in nothingness, the two light blue orbs dull in death.

The woman was still screaming her head off, trying to back away from Macnair, who was advancing slowly, a hungry look in his eye. Suddenly, he reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her roughly towards him. He unbuckled his belt and threw it carelessly in the growing pool of blood, before pulling his, now tented, trousers down.

The woman's yells grew louder as Macnair waved his wand to tie her hands, leaving his to grab her hips forcefully. Regulus couldn't stand it anymore. "I'm going to find Snape!" he called out.

Macnair grunted, whether in approval or arousal Regulus didn't know, but he turned his back around and left the room. Somewhere around halfway down the stairs, the woman let out an even shriller scream and the house was now filled with her yells and Macnair's pig-like groans. Regulus accemerated his pace, screwing his eyes shut in horror.

As his feet hit the pavement, Regulus bent over and retched. His abdomen convulsed and he spit out all he had eaten in the last five hours. '_He killed him._' he thought. '_He killed him and he's raping her while I'm just puking here, useless._'

As the last few drops left his mouth, he felt his body being wracked with sobs. He was truly a sore sight; kneeling on the sidewalk, hands on either side of his thrown up supper, crying helplessly. Because, truly no one _could _help him. If he backed out now, he would be killed, and so would be his mother and father, and possibly all those he cared for.

His mind wondered to Hermione. '_Don't do anything stupid._' It was too late now, he though, laughing ironically at the situation. He was in it for life. And there was nothing either of them could do about it.

It took a few minutes for him to calm down, but he eventually did. He coughed a little bit before standing back up. After muttering a siphoning charm to his mouth and Vanishing the mess he'd made on the pavement, he set off to find Snape. It shouldn't take much time, if he used a location charm.

Pointing his wand to his wand, he whispered "Point me." The wand twirled in his hands for a few seconds, before showing him down the street on his right. He followed his wand's indications until they brought him to a strip club. He groaned and cursed Snape under his breath for choosing such a place before entering. It took a couple of Confundus charms on the body guards, but he managed in one piece.

The loudness of the music startled his for a couple of seconds as he looked around the place. Women in very flimsy underwear were dancing all around the place, whether on stages or inside huge cages, with man cheering all around. There was a bar in the bar of the club, with an all too recognisable black cloaked and greasy haired figure.

Regulus walked over to the bar and sat down in the empty chair next to Snape. "Good evening Severus." he greeted him. "Fancy seeing you here."

Snape had a nearly empty glass of whiskey in front of him, and his eyes looked glazed. "Regulus." he acknowledged his presence, his voice slightly slurred with alcohol that ran in his system. He turned and looked over at his younger colleague. "Where's Macnair?"

A young woman in a bunny suit came up to him and asked: "What would the handsome mister like for a drink?" she asked with a voice as sweet as honey.

She was wearing the sexiest look he'd ever seen on a girl's face, so he did his best to impress her. "Scotch on rocks, please." he asked with his famous smirk and a wink. She giggled, turning around and, just for the fun, and pinched her backside. Feeling marginally better than when he left the house, he turned back to Snape. "You were saying?" he asked.

Snape shook his head, disbelieving. "You're a sly dog." he commented, before downing the rest of his drink. The ice cubes clinked against the glass as it hit the wood of the table.

Regulus shook his head too, snorting lightly. "Macnair is one much more than me. I mean, all I did was touch her arse. He'd be shagging her senseless by now." Snape nodded in agreement. "The only reason why he's not," Regulus continued. "Is because he's already occupied with another."

Snape shook his head again. "I don't believe it. He was supposed to let you do it." he said angrily as the woman came back with a glass, full to the brim with scotch and ice. Regulus retained himself from telling him he wouldn't have done it anyway.

She smiled at him. "It's on the house." she declared breathily, winking at him like he had done earlier.

"Thanks babe." Regulus said, taking a large gulp of him drink. She gave a slight giggle and turned her back to some other table full of drunkards. When she had left, he turned back to Snape.

He was staring at him. "Did he let you do anything at all?"

Regulus shrugged and drank some more. "Not really." he admitted, holding his glass in both of his hands, turning it slightly. "He just let me wake the man up. Then the dude complain and Macnair got tired of him, so he killed him, then he had it his way with his wife. It's about it."

Snape banged his fist on the table. "The Dark Lord will hear about this!" he declared. "You were supposed to kill at least one! But no, Macnair's cock just comes before anyone else! I mean, why couldn't the Dark Lord choose me to initiate you to that? At least I can hold it in! He whips his out faster than a sheriff does his gun in the West!"

Regulus downed the remaining scotch in his glass and, shivering at the taste, turned to look at Snape. "If you want, I could lend you money and you can have your fun." he said. "You don't even have to repay me."

Snape shook his head. "As much as I'd like to accept your offer, I've got to be back at Hogwarts by tomorrow morning, just like you do. I need to bring you back anyway." He left some change on the table, and both Death Eaters stood up, walking towards the exit. "However," he added, grinning. "I wouldn't say no if your offer still holds this weekend. I've been short on money lately."

As they walked out the club, Regulus told him: "No problem. Since Sirius got disinherited, I've got a couple million, if not more, all to myself, and I can certainly spare a couple Sickles." Snape snorted, running a hand through his greasy hair.

The two men walked to find a proper alley to Disapparate, landing in front of the Three Broomsticks. Snape and Regulus both pulled broomsticks out of their cloak pockets and flew over to the great wooden front door of the school. They both got back to the Common Room in one piece and bid each other goodnight before heading into their separate dormitories.

Regulus changed and slipped into his bed. However, as soon as he closed his eyes, he could see the man's head fall hard and lifeless against the floorboard, smell the sickening and heavy stench of blood inside the room and hear the woman's shrill, panicked screams. Whenever he did fall asleep, he was woken up by an image of someone he cared about being tortured right before his eyes and jerked upright, covered in sweat and tears. Five times during the rest of the night he was awakened because of that.

And, mysteriously, four of those five times, Hermione was the one writhing on the floor in some unknown dungeon, bathing in a growing pool of blood as he was chained to the wall, only able to stare in disgust and horror.

-o-O-o-

**Nobody found out Regulus was having a bad night's sleep, which is weird, because I thought it might have been pretty obvious… Anyway, I'm really sorry, but after I wrote this, my inspiration disappeared in a cloud of smoke and so I'm trying to find it… Basically, the next update might be slightly late… Sorry. On another note, this week is the last week of class before two weeks of holidays, and that, hopefully, means regular updates. :) Anyway, I hope you all had a nice weekend! Please review! Bye!  
**

**Fun fact: The wand I described as Regulus' is actually the one I have on Pottermore. :p True story.**

**Next Chapter: The next day, and what follows.**


	18. The Paper

**Disclaimer:**** Sadly, I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters. Everything belongs to JK Rowling, and I'm merely allowed to play around with them. No copyright infringement is intended. **

**Hey guys, I'm back! My inspiration isn't, though, so I might not be able to update as often as before, unlike I said I would, during these holidays.**

_Chapter 18_

-o-O-o-

Hermione woke up the next morning, well rested. She found that fact particularly strange as she had had quite a tumultuous night. She blushed slightly at the fact but proceeded to get dressed.

The whole morning was rather uneventful, and for a good reason: Regulus wasn't there.

She was surprised, to say the least, when he missed Potions. He was rather good at it and was one of Slughorn's favourites. She was worried when he missed Defence Against the Dark Arts. It was their second class, and something must be awfully wrong if he missed two hours. Her next classes weren't with him, but he wasn't there at lunch, and so she began to panic. She ate as fast as she could and left to check every place where he could possibly be.

He wasn't in the library, he wasn't in the kitchens and he wasn't in his next classroom. '_Where on Earth could he be?_' she asked herself, before something clicked in her mind. If he wasn't anywhere she could go to, he had to be somewhere she couldn't access.

That was when she set off for the Slytherin Common Room.

She had to follow a third year under a Dillusionment charm to get in, but she managed. As the student in question was a girl and headed to the dormitories on her right, she assumed the boys' were on her left. She climbed up the stairs until the door in front of her said: 'Sixth Years'.

She pushed it open. Thankfully, it looked empty, apart from a shapeless form lying on the bed on the far right. She smiled slightly. Regulus appeared to be sleeping, and somehow, she found that endearing.

She approached the bed slowly and sat down on a corner, removing her Dillusionment charm along the way. It was Regulus indeed. He was lying down in a foetal position, his blanket wrapped around his sleeping form tightly. She understood him: the humidity of the dungeons made it much colder than the Gryffindor Common Room.

His face looked peaceful, although his body was drenched in sweat. Suddenly, he shivered and groaned lightly, pulling his blanket closer to himself. Hermione frowned, wondering what kind of dream he was having.

No longer had she finished her though that he jerked upright, panting as tears started flowing down his face. He stared at the wall opposite him for a couple of seconds, before turning around and examining his surroundings. When he turned around to face her, he froze and suddenly she wondered if coming here was such a great idea after all.

"Listen, I-" But she didn't get to finish her sentence. He had flung himself at her and was now clinging to her as if she was her only link to life. She was surprised, to say the least, at first, but then relaxed in his embrace. She felt him vibrating slightly, and realised he was crying. Long, heartbroken sobs wracked through his body as hot tears stained her shirt. She felt unending pity for Regulus, even though she knew nought about the cause of his sorrow.

After a while, his sobs turned to pants, and then to small sniffles, and he detached his blotchy face from her. "Sorry." he croaked.

She brushed a strand of hair from his face, concern written all over her traits. "What was it?" she asked softly. When he didn't answer after a couple of minutes, she prompted him: "A nightmare?" He looked up at her and nodded slowly. "About what?" she asked, putting a hand on his shoulder reassuringly.

He looked down. "Someone… Someone I care about… Being tortured… And killed… Right before my eyes…" He sniffled again, before wiping his nose on his arm. That was when she noticed he was sleeping only in pyjama bottoms. She cleared her throat, trying to make the inappropriate thoughts leave her head.

Unfortunately, it did nothing of the sort. "That's truly horrible." she managed to choke out, sincerely hoping the hoarseness of her voice would be defined as grief and compassion, and not something else entirely.

He didn't seem to notice her little problem as he slipped back into his sheets. That was when she remembered why she was here in the first place.

"Oh no you don't!" she said, trying to pull the sheets away from him. He groaned, pulling them loser to him and squeezing his eyes shut. She pulled harder, determined to make him leave his bed at least once today, until finally, he let go.

Unfortunately for her, she had been pulling too hard and so, when he let go, found herself falling on her backside onto the hard tiled floor. Meanwhile, in his bed, Regulus rolled over in laughter.

Hermione stood up, anger flushing her cheeks as she mumbled: "Just you wait." before wrenching the covers away from him. He let out a surprised yelp as a cold gust of wind hit his bare chest. Seeing her triumphant smirk, he gave her a determined look before grabbing hold of the sheets she was holding and giving a hard yank. Now, it was her turn to squeak as she was pulled with the covers on top of the bed… and on top of Regulus.

Both looked extremely flushed after their small fight, stopping for a couple of minutes to catch their breaths. Unfortunately, their efforts were in vain as, as soon as they realised the awkward position in which they were, they both blushed bright red again and scrambled to try and get out of the bed.

When he was out from the safety of his covers, Hermione could finally see him clearly again. His cheeks were pink and he was staring directly at her, mussing his hair up occasionally. His raven black locks hung around his ever so light grey eyes in a way which made them look bigger and, if she was going to be sissy, absolutely adorable. He had extremely pale skin but, for some reason, she didn't find it sickly looking as she did with Draco Malfoy, back in her timeline. He had a very slim figure, though not totally deprived of muscle, as he did have a square chest. He was nothing like his brother Sirius, who had a kind of bearish quality to him. No, if Sirius was a bear, or, she mused, a huge black dog, then Regulus would be more of a falcon or a racing dog.

He cleared his throat, making her realise she had, indeed been staring at him and, possibly, fantasising too. "Well, erm…" he mumbled incoherently. "Since… You got me out of bed, I might as well… Go take a shower…"

She blushed, if possible, even brighter. "Erm… Yeah, sure, feel free… I'll be waiting." He nodded left, grabbing a fluffy green towel on the way, and she sat down, wondering what was wrong with her brain for her to be having such incoherent thoughts around none other than Regulus Black.

-o-O-o-

"Fuck…" Regulus muttered, staring at the mess he had made in the bathroom. The water would be able to wash away, rather quickly, the remains of his activity, but the thought of it would remain.

He groaned. Why did she have to come? Why her? Then again, he knew the reason; she was the only one who cared about him. But why come when he was sleeping? That was his fault; he should have been awake a long time ago. Unfortunately, his dream about her being tortured had made him so depressed that, when he woke up, he had been rather happy to see her alive and well… and caring… and wearing that ridiculously short skirt of hers…

He wanted to punch the wall. As if that hadn't been enough, they had played a game of pulling the covers, and she had ended up on top of him. He had felt himself grow very fast then, and had left to take a shower, cradling a towel near his crotch so she wouldn't notice his arousal.

And now, there he was, completely breathless, with boiling water spraying down on his head as it washed away the proofs of his wanting of her. He couldn't believe that, somehow, he had stooped so low. He had thought Macnair was disgusting for lusting after everything that had two legs and a pussy, but lusting after Hermione… He wasn't much better.

It wasn't her blood status that bothered him. He had gotten over that thought months ago. It was the fact that his brother had had exactly the same thoughts as he was having. And he wanted nothing to do with that good for nothing, traitorous bastard! And, deep down, he knew he didn't want to hurt Hermione like he had. Deep down, he wanted to cherish her for the rest of her life… A thought he'd never had about anybody.

Ever.

And somehow, all these new feelings… They scared him. As a Slytherin, it was nothing but natural that he was afraid of the unknown. That was why he'd been surprised that his brother had been sorted in Gryffindor; he had always been afraid. But then again, unlike Regulus, he had a reckless, and somehow stupid, personality. When he had been sorted in Slytherin, his parents had praised him. He'd been sure he was following…

The right path.

But now… Now with Hermione in his life… He wasn't so sure anymore. He was beginning to wonder whether the Dark Lord was really fighting for the greater good, or for his own advantages. He was beginning to think that his family, except Sirius, was all for preserving blood purity… because they were scared. He was beginning to realise that that girl, who had arrived from nowhere, as if from a puff of smoke, was getting under his skin.

Seriously. And it was not something he ought to take lightly.

-o-O-o-

Hermione just sat on the bed, thinking, until Regulus came out of the bathroom. She wanted to tell him to hurry up, but upon seeing him wrapped in only the towel he'd carried with him earlier, beads of water marking his every curve and steam rising off him in waves, her breath hitched.

Fortunately, it didn't last very long until she managed to call out: "Took you some time."

He jumped slightly at the sound of her voice, leading her to think that he wasn't expecting her. Her suspicions were confirmed when he answered: "Yeah, well, I didn't think you'd stay there and wait."

"I have all the time in the world." she contested as he walked over to his closet and pulled out items of clothing. Her eyes widened a little when she saw a pair of black silken boxers but otherwise remained quite stationary. He went back to the bathroom to change and, when he came out, was the same Regulus she knew and loved.

'_Wait, wait, wait… Loved?_' She mentally cursed her imagination for going to far before standing up. He pulled on a school robe and motioned to the door.

"We might as well go, shouldn't we?" he asked, and she nodded silently, before both headed out of the Slytherin dormitories and Common Room, and into the familiar corridors of Hogwarts.

They started meandering, unsure where to go, until Hermione declared: "You haven't eaten; maybe we could go to the kitchens and get you something to fill your stomach with."

His absence of protest made her think he agreed with her, and so they set off for the Hogwarts kitchens. Fortunately, she knew you only had to tickle the pear to get in, and they both entered without any problems. Once they were in, a small House Elf with batty ears and huge, black doe eyes accosted them. "What can Fizzy do for you?" she squeaked.

Hermione was still unsure on how to treat a House Elf, so was very cautious in her choice of words. "Would you be kind enough to give Regulus here a decent lunch please?" she asked.

Fizzy nodded. "I is getting you that instantly." She clapped her hands and a dozen more Elves came, carrying a platter on their heads. They laid the platter down on a table on Hermione's left, where a chair also sat, as well as a couch behind it.

Regulus wasted no time in thanking anyone, so Hermione, shooting him a death glare, did it for him, praising each Elf individually as Regulus stuffed his face with the same delicious lamb chops she had had a mere hour ago. The Elves nodded and smiled at her, before scampering in different directions.

She went and sat down on the ouch, still glaring at Regulus, as if trying to make holes in the back of his head. When he was done, he called Fizzy back. "Would you care to give me this morning's Prophet, please?" he asked. The Elf nodded and left, coming back only seconds later and handing him the papers. He only waved her off, no thanking intended.

Hermione stood up to scold him about his outrageous behaviour with such nice creatures, until she noticed his face was deathly pale. She was bout to ask him what was wrong, her anger melted away, when he turned green and stood up, leaving the room in a hurry.

Confused, Hermione picked the paper up and looked at the front cover. There was a picture of a headless man and a woman, both dead and covered in blood. The woman's legs were bent at odd angles and Hermione thought she could make out a rib or two poking out of her sides. The outline read:

'_Mass Muggle Murder Continues!_

_This morning, at 04:32, the Auror office was notified as Muggle witnesses reported to have heard screaming coming from their street. The Muggle policemen were on the crime scene when our law forces arrived, but were soon sent back to their station, memory charms in place._

_Charles Anderson, 44 and his wife, Linda Anderson (née Mills), 39, were found dead in their bed. The copious amount of blood might suggest a Muggle murder, but the cut which decapitated Mr. Anderson (see picture) seemed far too straight and far too clean to have been anything other than a powerful Slicing Hex. The first thought that came to the mind of our Aurors was that Death Eaters were the cause of this slaughter._

_When interrogating witnesses, their suspicions were confirmed as most of them said having seen two, probably male, figures enter the house, just past 2:00, and one of them exit the house, about quarter of an hour later. Some also reported seeing that exiting figure bend over the pavement and throw up, before waving his hand to make the proof go away._

_The autopsy of the two corpses leads us to think that Mr. Anderson was killed first, only by decapitation, and that Mrs. Anderson has been a victim to physical abuse, including multiple rape attempts, most of them fruitful. Unfortunately, no sperm or anything of the sort was discovered on the crime scene to help us uncover the culprit of the events, leading us all to wonder: who would be so cruel and heartless to do such a thing?_'

Hermione put the paper down, feeling slightly sick. Ignoring the churning of her stomach, she wondered why Regulus would be so affected by that news… Unless he had been part of it.

-o-O-o-

**Boo! Spooky! I'm glad I managed to finish this chapter for today, though, as I wasn't sure I would be able to… I haven't even started chapter 19, so maybe you'll have to wait until after tomorrow for it… Now that that's said, have a nice Christmas Eve, everyone! :)**

**Next Chapter: Their Christmas Holidays!  
**


	19. Six Animals In The Moonlight

**Disclaimer:**** Sadly, I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters. Everything belongs to JK Rowling, and I'm merely allowed to play around with them. No copyright infringement is intended. **

**Don't tell my mom I've been writing this chapter, because I was supposed to do my French homework… Gah! I hate homework… Anyway, have a nice reading! I wrote this chapter listening to 'When Can I do This Again' by Owl City... Just thought you'd ought to know. :)  
**

_Chapter 19_

-o-O-o-

Hermione didn't see Regulus for the rest of the day. She pondered about the reason for a while until she came to the conclusion that he was tired.

In reality, she thought he might have something to with that Muggle murder, and possibly some others. Back in her timeline, she had no idea when Regulus had joined the Death Eaters, and still had no idea now. She hoped it might not have happened yet, although she wondered why. Maybe it had to do with the fact that she needed him to go back to where she rightfully belonged.

There it came again. The pang that came in her chest every time she thought of going back. She knew she didn't belong here, yet she still wanted to stay. Although she didn't know exactly why.

She groaned and ran her hands through her hair. A seventh year, sitting on the couch opposing hers, gave her a weird look and continued the book he was reading.

She couldn't affect the timeline. She knew that. The consequences could be disastrous. Yet, for the sake of one person, she felt like she was willing to bargain the sake of the entire space-time continuum. And it bothered her.

Because that person was Regulus.

She'd never paid that much attention to him back in her timeline. She barely knew his name. Yet here… here, and with him… She felt like she'd been sent here for something. The very thought of it was ludicrous, obviously, because it had all just been a huge mistake, an accident…

But every time she looked into his eyes, she knew he counted on her. She just couldn't let him down. He looked so scared, but had so much experience in hiding his feelings that the traits of his face formed the best mask she'd ever seen. But he needed someone. She needed to help him. He was just a scared little boy, behind that grown-up's body.

Besides, she hated Death Eaters. If he was going to become one of them, she'd have no choice but to hate him too. And she didn't want that. Nor was there the opportunity that she became one too. There was only one choice left then: prevent Regulus from ever becoming a Death Eater. There was little chance she would succeed without destroying the universe, but for him, she was prepared to take the bet.

She smirked at how horribly cheesy her line sounded and stood up, her Potions' essay forgotten on the table. She stretched and started climbing the stairs to her dormitory as the seventh year, looking around to check if anyone was watching, snatched the piece of parchment from the table and took a glance at its contents:

_Hermione Granger_

_6__th__ Year/ Gryffindor_

_Draught of Living Death_

_The Draught of Living Death can be brewed by adding powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood. Its side effects include powerful snores and uncontrollable laughter when the person wakes up from his/her slumber._

The rest of the page was covered in drawings of a dog, a stag, a rat, a wolf howling at the moon, and in the centre, two foxes played, looking as though they were running after the tail of the other.

The seventh year put the paper down, shaking his head. "She's barmy, that one." he mumbled, picking his book up at the page where he had left it. "Absolutely barmy."

-o-O-o-

"I'm crazy." Hermione mumbled the next morning, staring at herself in the mirror. She splashed some water on her face and picked up a towel, before dabbing herself gently to make the droplets go away. After a few quick brushes to her hair, she left the room and prepared herself to go to Hogsmeade. Today was the departure day for the holidays. After all, everyone deserved a day off once in a while.

Her stomach clenched. Two weeks of not seeing Regulus. That also meant giving two weeks to the Death Eaters to turn him in one of them. It was almost like serving him on a silver platter. But Hermione Granger was not one to give up so easily. She had concocted up a plan, but was unsure if it would work or not. Which was why she called herself crazy.

She checked her watch and cursed. The train left in less than half an hour and she still hadn't left! She ran as fast as she could, down numerous flights of stairs and secret passage ways, blushing in the memory of the last thing that had happened when she used these same methods to arrive somewhere on time.

She managed to catch the last carriage along with a pair of third years with screeching owls. She had to silence them after only a couple of minutes, earning thankful glances from their owners, but other from that, the ride was pretty much uneventful.

She jumped off the carriage before it had completely stopped, and started running towards the platform, pushing the students carrying their trunks and desperately trying to push them on the train. She earned herself a 'Hey!', a 'Whoa!' and a couple 'Watch where you're going's. Before she hopped on the train, though, someone stopped her by placing a hand on her shoulder.

As she spun around she heard Sirius' voice boom: "Hermione! Why are you brutalising us so?"

She shook her head. "Because I'm looking for someone." she explained, trying to twist her head and spot him.

Unfortunately, Sirius was still a very muscular man and so, when she tried to pry his hand away, she failed miserably. He said nothing of her futile attempt to escape and instead asked: "Would you like to come and live with me?"

She froze and turned around slowly, an incredulous look on her face. "Excuse me?" she asked, sure to have misheard.

He was grinning. "You know, after Hogwarts and stuff. During these holidays, Prongs, Wormtail, Moony and I are going to look for a place of our own… And since my Uncle Alphard left me quite a bit of money, there should be some left to buy you a room. So, I ask you again, would you like to come and live with me?"

She stared at him, completely at loss for words. After all, she hadn't even thought about what she was going to do once she stepped out of Hogwarts' protective wall. She sighed. "Since no other option presents itself," she started, but Sirius was already punching the air in victory. "I will come and live with you _and_ James _and_ Peter _and_ Remus."

"Yes!" Sirius shouted. "Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!"

Hermione couldn't help but smile at the childish joy that emanated from her boyish friend. Suddenly, she snapped up as she remembered why she was here. "I'm sorry, Sirius," she told him. "But I've got to find someone."

Sirius snapped out of his weird trance. "If you're looking for my good-for-nothing brother, he and a couple of his idiotic goons are at the back of the train." She stared at him, surprised, and he continued: "You are as readable as a book. No, actually, more than a book, because I can't read a book to save my life."

Before she could stop herself, she jumped up and kissed him lightly on the cheek, before running off. Sirius stood there, dumbstruck, until Remus tapped him lightly on the shoulder and asked what was wrong. Then, he nearly lost his ability of hearing when Sirius yelled "_YES!_" at the top of his voice. Which is pretty loud, mind you.

But back to Hermione. Our favourite Muggleborn witch was running in the direction of the last wagon, her panting breaths misting around her. She smiled as her feet crunched the now blackened snow under them, splashing neighbouring spots with newly formed dirty water.

When she reached the mentioned wagon, it looked empty. Empty, with no one standing outside. She was about to curse Sirius from tricking her when a voice came from directly behind her. "I'm right here, you know."

She gasped in surprise, her gloved hand flying to her throat as she spun around to find a grinning Regulus. "You scared me!" she accused him, her voice laced with fake anger.

He rolled his eyes. "That was the whole point, you know." he told her. "Obviously."

She shook her head, unable to stay mad at him for very long. "Stop lurking in the shadows." she advised him. "It's creepy."

He raised an eyebrow, before adding: "Says the girl who sneaks into my bedroom during my beauty sleep."

She blushed. "I was simply worried about you!" she defended herself, but he just laughed.

"Right!" he said. "Worried that I might not be able to keep _you_ company any longer! That's a selfish motive Hermione. How very Slytherin of you."

She stared at him, open mouthed and affronted. "Excuse me?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips. "You think _I_ act like a Slytherin?"

He chuckled. "I've hit a nerve there, haven't I?"

She shook her head haughtily. "Absolutely not." she huffed. "I am not offended by your statement. At all. There. Happy?"

He shook his head. "No, since my objective was to annoy you."

"To save me from being friends with an untrustworthy bastard like yourself?" she asked him. "How very Gryffindor of you."

His eyes widened. "That was way below the belt, Hermione." he declared, not seeming joking at all. "Take it back."

She shook her head. "No, we're even that way. Besides, as a lioness, I like to play with my food before I eat it."

He pouted. "You're so mean." he wined.

She uncrossed her arms, staring at him. He looked up and their eyes met, staying like that for a few moments until she sighed and gave in. "Fine." she acknowledged. "You're the most ungrateful, selfish, Slytherin arse hole I've ever met. There, happy?"

He nodded frantically, grinning from ear to ear. "Definitely." He walked around in a circle while she crossed her arms again, waiting for something similar in return. "By the way, Hermione," he told her finally, staring at the sky. "You giving in like that… You sounded just like a Hufflepuff."

"Fuck you." she told him, although her smile betrayed the fact that she wasn't really angry at him.

He grinned and walked towards her until they were mere inches apart. He placed his hands on her waist, whilst hers were still crossed, and bent over so that his lips were at her ear. "With pleasure." he whispered.

She froze for half a second, before she gave him a hard shove and he toppled backwards, laughing so loudly he sounded more like his brother than his usual self. "You…" she stuttered. "You sick, sadistic, slimy swine!"

"Oh! Alliteration!" he told her, before resuming his laughter.

She sighed. "You, Regulus Arcturus Black the second," she declared calmly. "Are officially hopeless."

He sputtered the last of his giggles and looked up, for he had bent in laughter, at her. "It's no use trying to save me then, is it?"

She gulped down. '_That's not what he meant!_' she told herself. '_That's definitely not what he meant! It's impossible he should know about his death, or my plan to save him, anyway. He could have meant it. He didn't mean it!_'

Regulus straightened, a puzzled look on his face. "Hermione?" he asked. "Are you feeling alright?"

She snapped out of her internal debate as he placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Yes, yes, of course I'm fine…" She looked up to him. "Shouldn't you be going, anyway?"

He nodded slightly, somehow worried for her. "Well then, I guess that means 'so long, friend'… right?"

She smiled slightly, looking at the floor. "Right. See you after the holidays."

"Okay." he said, and turned away from her unmoving frame. But he stopped as a thought plagued his mind. Two pieces of his brain were arguing about what he should or shouldn't do.

'_Come on!_' one was saying. '_You've got nothing to lose!_'

'_Yes, I do!_' the other argued. '_My dignity! Have you thought about that, huh? What if she says no?_'

'_Then at least we'll have tried, and we'll have nothing to regret later._' the first concluded, in a 'tone' that let him believe there was no other possible option. His mind made, he spun around to face her again.

"Hermione?" he asked in a strangely confident voice. "Would you… You know…. During these holidays, maybe we could hang out together or something… It could be fun." Even he was practically wincing at how desperate he sounded. "Please?" he added after a while.

She looked up and whispered, smiling: "Sure." Her smile widened. "I'd be grateful if you could save me from being cooped up here for two weeks." They both laughed for a few minutes before the whistle blew. "You should go." she told him.

"I know." he answered truthfully. "But that doesn't mean I want to."

She stared a him for a couple of seconds, as if debating something with her brain, before she threw herself at him desperately and hugged him close. He wasted no time in returning her embrace. Some part of him was asking why he was doing it, but it just felt… right. "I'll miss you." she mumbled through his thick cloak.

He pulled her closer. "Somehow, I'll miss you too." It took some effort but he managed to pry himself away from her, only to hold her at arm's length. "Even that bushy mane of yours that you call hair." he added jokingly.

She laughed and the whistle blew again. She pushed him away. "Go!" she urged him. "Quickly!"

He nodded and ran towards the compartment door. The previously full platform was now devoid of any signs of life, save for Hermione. Regulus sat down next to a window and waved Hermione off until he couldn't see her any more, before plopping back down on his seat.  
That was when another problem came up his head.

She had seemed troubled after he had said it was no use trying to save him. Did she think his sentence had a double meaning? Did she suspect he was in trouble? Or even worse…

Did she know he was a Death Eater?

-o-O-o-

**Sorry guys, but this is probably the last update of the year. Boohoo! Also, just so you know, I haven't been writing much lately (in fact I wrote this whole chapter today) because me and my sister received two Professor Layton games and I wanted to finish them both. Those puzzles are an obsession, I swear to God… Anyway, since I've finished them, it means I have officially completed the four first games! Yeah! Three cheers for me!**

**On another note, I also got the 40 Harry Potter Movie Posters collection for Christmas! I was so happy when I opened the parcel… What did you guys get? What should Regulus and Hermione get? Jeez, that was an awfully long Author's Note… Happy (early) New Year, people! :)**

Edit: I forgot to tell you, I'm closing my pairing poll tomorrow, at 23:59, Paris time. Whether you want Hermione to end up with our loveable RAB or not, just... please vote if you haven't already! :)  



	20. Nightmare and Nightclub

**Disclaimer:**** Sadly, I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters. Everything belongs to JK Rowling, and I'm merely allowed to play around with them. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Twenty chapters, and still going! Do I smell champagne? :)  
**

_Chapter 20_

-o-O-o-

"No."

"Hermione, please..."

"No, Sirius!"

"Mary will be there too!"

"I don't care, Remus."

"I even managed to convince Lily!"

"Too bad for you, James."

"If she doesn't want to go, who are we to stop her..."

A chorus of "Shut up, Peter!" came up and Hermione sighed. This was getting complicated. She hated refusing something to the Marauders, especially since she temporarily lived with them, but that was an undisputable subject.

Pinching her nose, she concluded: "For the last time, I am not stopping you from going, but I am not stepping through the door to a nightclub!" Then, before they could argue some more, she turned around and left the room. What could she say? She just didn't want to be reminded of her timeline, and going there would be a perfect reminder of the Yule Ball, although the spirit of it would be much different.

She closed the door to her room and lay down on her bed. There wasn't much else she could do. Heaving a huge sigh, she thought about the one thing that had been plaguing her mind since she had last seen him six days ago. Regulus.

He'd been in her dreams, more than once. In fact, she'd had the same dream six times in a row, and it was starting to worry her...

_It was night time. The man walked through the snow covered pavement of London, his feet crunching in the white ice. Left and right, people passed, nobody ever noticing him. He tightened his black cloak around himself as a particularly cold gust of wind hit, making his impossibly light grey eyes water. He passed a supermarket, which had a fake Santa Claus distributing candy to children and boasting about the special promotions they made for Christmas._

_The man took one look at them and gave a slight smile. The fake Santa caught him watching and smiled, shouting at him; "Merry Christmas, my boy! Ho, ho, ho!"_

_The man waved and continued his path. "That's right, merry Christmas... It's my last, after all."_

_And on he walked, cars on his right never stopping to look at him twice, because the whole world was blissfully ignorant of his very existence. And, for some strange reason, he wouldn't have it any other way. He turned left suddenly, walking for a couple of meters until he arrived in a more open, but abandoned, space. He passed a rusty sign that read 'Grimmauld Place'. _

_As he approached Number 10, the earth started shaking and pushing two buildings apart from each other. The man, however, seemed unsurprised by this occurrence. Between the two shaking buildings appeared a third, one with a plaque on it that said: 'Number 12'._

_The man entered Number 12, Grimmauld Place, without so much as a glance around to see if anyone was following him. As soon as the door closed behind him, a shrill voice called out: "Regulus! Is that you?"_

_Regulus cringed and replied: "Yes, mother! I'm home!"_

_A middle aged woman entered the room, a pair of glasses perched on her thin nose and a book in hand, indicating her previous activity. "Where have you been?" she asked stiffly._

_He sighed. "I went to see Severus, I told you." he told her patiently._

_She glared at him. "Don't speak to me in that tone. You could have Apparated and been home for supper. I had to eat alone! On Christmas night! What sort of family are we?"_

"_A broken one, ever since father has left us." he answered, and she didn't dare scold him. Instead, she huffed and returned to the room where she had come from, probably to return to her reading. Regulus took of his snow covered cloak and hanged it besides the door. He knew his mother wasn't mad at him. In fact, he was just stating facts, so she had nothing to scold him for._

_Scratching his subtle, he started climbing up the stairs to him room. He smiled when his eyes came upon the familiar sight of his name plate on the door._

'_Do not enter without the express permission of  
Regulus Arcturus Black'_

_Shaking his head slightly, he pushed the door open. Unsurprisingly, his room was one of the cleanest of the house. Among his poster and pictures, there was a single Quidditch scarf. A red and gold one. Banishing a memory from surfacing, he looked to the floor, where what looked like a dirty cloth bundle lay._

"_Kreacher?" he asked softly, kneeling down next to the bundle. It stirred and from its contents poked and ugly head, shrivelled and sporting two huge, bat like ears. It turned around and stared at Regulus with its disproportionate eyes, as if silently asking him what the matter was. "How are you feeling?" he finally asked._

"_Much better, now that Master Regulus has looked after Kreacher." the elf replied, nodding softly. His voice wasn't croaky and he sounded well rested._

_Regulus nodded. "Thank you Kreacher. Now, I'd like you to do something for me."_

"_Anything for Master Regulus." Kreacher replied, detangling himself from his bundle of clothes._

"_Thank you. First, I'd like you to promise me you won't tell any of this to my mother." Regulus asked._

_Kreacher gasped. "Not tell my Mistress? But she would kill Kreacher if she ever found out about that!" He shook his head. "No. Kreacher won't do it."_

"_But she won't find out," Regulus tried to reason. "If you don't tell her. I swear I won't tell her, Kreacher."_

_The elf gulped down. "Kreacher..." he croaked, as if these words were eliciting a huge amount of pain from him. "Kreacher won't tell." he gave in at last._

_Regulus nodded. "Good. Now I want you to take me to the place where the Dark Lord made you drink the potion." _

_At first, the elf looked terrified, but upon meeting his master's soothing gaze, he nodded again. "Let us go, then." He took the man's hand and asked: "At the entrance or directly on the island, Master Regulus?" _

_He gulped. "Directly on the island, please." He was squished in the now, familiar rubber tube for a couple of seconds until his feet hit the ground. He looked around and saw... Nothing. The cave he was in was absolutely pitch black._

"_We have arrived, Master Regulus." the elf said, letting go of his hand. Regulus heard Kreacher snap his fingers and, instantly, a ball of white light appeared, illuminating the cave. He was indeed standing in the middle of an island, the huge rock surrounded by murky water. The stone walls around the lake seemed damp, at first sight, but what really caught his eye was the bowl of potion sitting in the middle of the island. He approached it slowly, somehow dreading what he will find there. The liquid in it was green and opaque; making it impossible to be sure what was sitting at the bottom. The glow it emitted was somehow sickly, and made him want to retch._

_Turning back to his House elf, he said quietly: "Kreacher, what happens here must never reach the Dark Lord's ears; if he were to find out, he would kill you and my mother, do you understand?" The elf nodded. Regulus inhaled and exhaled deeply, before continuing: "I am going to drink the potion. You are to keep me drinking, no matter what I tell you. Once the bowl will be empty, you will take the locket at the bottom and switch it," he pulled a golden replica from his pocket and placed it in Kreacher's hands. "With this one. Then you will leave, and never come back."_

"_But what about my master?" the elf croaked, probably dreading the answer._

"_You are to leave me behind. After this, my life is of little value." he admitted bluntly. "You are not to tell my mother what happened. Ever. I want her to die ignorant. You are to hide the locket from her too, and you must destroy it." The elf nodded reluctantly again. "Now," Regulus said gravely. "A glass."_

_With another snap of his fingers, Kreacher handed his master a carved crystal glass, which he dipped in the foul potion. He held it at his lips, before pushing it away, at sad twinkle in his eye._

"_One last thing." he said, staring directly at the wall in front of him. "If you see Hermione... Wish her a merry Christmas from me."_

_And, brushing a single tear he should never have shed, he tipped the glass back and swallowed a mouthful._

Hermione's head jerked up from her pillow, and she gasped. Seven times in a row! And this wasn't even at night! She took a sideways glance to her alarm clock. It was barely seven PM.

She groaned, just as a knock came on her door. "Hermione?" she heard Sirius ask. "Are you sure you don't want to come? I mean, we're leaving in half an hour, so..."

She stood up and went to open the door. Sirius was standing there, his hair wet, as if he'd just stepped out of the shower. His black shirt was half open, giving her a good view of his muscular chest. Realising she was staring, she shook her head and looked away. "I…" she tried, preparing to refuse the offer once more. But then something lit up in her mind. "Oh, fuck it." she muttered. "Wait for me, I'm gonna get ready."

She closed the door, the last thing she saw being Sirius' confused but happy look as she went to scan her wardrobe for something to wear.

-o-O-o-

"I hate you."

"No you don't."

"Yes I do."

"No you don't."

"Believe me, I do."

Severus sighed. "Regulus, if you truly hated me, you would have left me alone in the middle of the street right now. And instead, you're just insulting me because you're too proud to admit that you actually want to go to this nightclub." He turned around to see Regulus answer him, but the young man was simply glaring at his shiny pair of shoes as if it was all there fault.

"I'm just too polite to refuse you." he tried.

Severus laughed as the pair rounded a corner. "Telling your mother you were going to a party organised by the Dark Lord while you're actually sneaking out of it to hang out with me is not polite, believe me. You could have stayed there and drink all night… Although you seemed eager to escape Rosier's embrace."

Regulus shuddered. "I though her brother's breath was horrible, but that… Gah! It was plain appalling!"

Severus snickered. "Are you sure it's her breath?"

Regulus turned to him, a puzzled look on his face. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, I think you know perfectly well what I mean." Severus snickered again. "I was wondering… You used to have it your way with the witches… And since the beginning of the school year, you've turned every single one of them down… Why's that?"

Regulus mumbled something inaudible.

Severus was still smirking, as the music from the club started to reach their ears. "I think that you no longer like witches. Are you attracted to something… A bit more male, perhaps?"

Regulus' head snapped up so fast it was a miracle his neck didn't break. "Uh?" he asked, before bursting into loud laughter. "No." ha said after a while. "It's not that. It's not that at all."

"Oh really?" Severus asked, tilting his head to the side. "I'm afraid I'm having some trouble believing you.

"Whatever." Regulus said as the door opened up to let them pass. The club's dance floor was packed with people dancing with high proximity, girls in short dresses and men in suits, all that forming a weird melting pot.

The two friends headed towards the bar, sitting down on a high chair before resuming their conversation. "If it's not wizards, then what keeps you from doing dirt like you used to?" Severus yelled in Regulus' ear, over the loud boom of the music.

"I don't want to tell you!" he answered, grabbing a glass of Label 5 the barman had sent his way.

Severus watched his friend down his first glass as his eyes skimmed over the dance floor. "Please, tell me. I'm curious." he tried.

Regulus sighed as a small brunette in a strapless grey dress stepped out and sat next to him. He gave up and turned back towards the elder man. "Fine, it's-"

"Regulus?" a voice behind him asked. "Is that you?"

He froze mid sentence and turned around to face the pretty brunette who had sat down a couple of seconds earlier. Despite the make up and the sleek hair, he recognised her instantly. He gulped down. "Hermione."

-o-O-o-

**Happy New Year! Please review, I love it when you do! :)**


	21. Jealousy

**Disclaimer:**** Sadly, I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters. Everything belongs to JK Rowling, and I'm merely allowed to play around with them. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Just so you guys know, I closed my poll, and the winner is… *drum rolls* Regulus! So… This is officially a HG/RAB story… Also, if you guys wanted Remus to win, you can always read my one-shot 'Carnival of Rust'… You don't have to read the sequel. I only wrote it because people wanted me to, but the original idea was to stop it at the end of CoR. If you guys wanted Sirius to win, I've got a one-shot in writing, although it's been on hold for months, now… Anyway, on with the story.**

_Chapter 21_

-o-O-o-

"Hermione."

"Fancy seeing you here." Hermione said, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. As Regulus tried to gather his thoughts enough to form a sentence, Severus cleared his throat. Hermione turned to him and continued. "And I see you brought company! Good evening, Snape."

He nodded. "Good evening to you, Granger. May I enquire the reason of your presence here?"

"Oh, I just came with the Marauders and a couple of friends to… Hang out." she told him, while Regulus was still gaping like a goldfish. "How about you?"

"Regulus here," he said, slapping the younger man on the shoulder. "Wanted to escape Rosier's clutches…"

"But…" Hermione stuttered. "Isn't Rosier a guy?"

Severus laughed. "Yes, he's a bloke, but he has a sister… Who is rather fond of Mister Black."

"Bad breath…" Regulus mumbled.

Neither seemed to have heard him as Severus asked: "Come dance with me, Granger?"

She laughed. "If I'm going to dance with you, you're going to have to call me Hermione."

He stood up, and she did too. "Very well, _Hermione_. Let's leave Regulus behind, he doesn't seem too unhappy about the situation." And with that, they were off to the dance floor, while the youngest man sat, apparently stunned or petrified.

It wasn't until a pretty blond with bright pink lips came up and asked him to dance that he moved. He looked up at her, then at his friends dancing, grinding against each other in the hot mass that was the club's clientele, then back at her, before nodding. With a twenty four carat smile, she took his hand and led him near the DJ, before turning around and placing her hands on his waist. He placed his on her hips, still slightly dazed, until, regaining his senses, he pulled her roughly, crushing her small frame against him.

She gave a slight giggle and asked: "What's your name?"

He bent down to shout in her ear, above the music: "I'm Regulus. What's yours?"

Splaying her hands on the small of his back, she shouted: "Name's Tia." He nodded, and they went back to dancing. Each time a song ended, he would glance at Hermione and Severus, still dancing a couple of meters away, and pull Tia closer.

Suddenly, without knowing how he ended up there, Tia and he were making out on the dance floor as if their lives depended on it. Some corner of his mind still wanted to turn around and check out if Hermione and Severus were still dancing, but most of his brain was like '_Shut up and concentrate on what you're doing!_'

After what could have been minutes, hours or days, Tia broke away, her eyes shining with lust. "Let's take this somewhere else, shall we?" she asked, her voice husky with desire. He nodded, his thoughts too jumbled up to produce any form of coherent answer. He took her hands and pulled her away, almost forcefully, to a broom closet, near the lavatories.

He pulled away for a few seconds to take his shirt off, dropping it carelessly on the floor, and walked back to her, eyes transfixed by the beautiful creature in front of him. She threw herself at him wantonly, capturing his lips in another bruising kiss. His hands wandered until they landed on her breast; when he felt her soft mounds under his calloused palms, a feral growl escaped him.

The door to the broom closet snapped open then, forcing Regulus and Tia away from each other. Regulus turned around at their intruder, who turned out to be none other than a very pissed looking Miss Granger.

"You!" she yelled, pointing at Regulus. "You're such a… a…" Then, unable to find a suitable insult, she turned and stormed off.

Tia shrugged and turned back to Regulus, a wicked smile in place. "Now," she whispered seductively. "Where were we?"

She tried to go back to kissing him, but he turned his head away and mumbled: "I'm not in the mood anymore." before grabbing his shirt and heading out to follow the angry Gryffindor. He slipped back inside his piece of clothing, not bothering to fasten more than half the buttons, before heading back inside the partying part of the club.

No catching sight of her straight away, he sat down at the bar, where Severus joined him after a couple of minutes. They stayed silent until, after a couple of minutes, Severus broke the ice and asked: "So… Hermione, eh?"

Regulus nodded.

Severus smiled at him. "Well, at least you're not gay." he joked.

Regulus shook his head, a small smile on his face. "You're hopeless, Severus, you know that?"

He snorted. "Look who's talking! You're in love with a Mudblood after all."

"No!" Regulus defended himself. "First, don't call her a Mudblood. You know where that winded you up. And second, I am not, I repeat, _not _in love with Hermione."

Severus rolled his eyes. "Keep telling yourself that, Black. But if you weren't in love with her, you'd call her a Mudblood, no matter what. You also wouldn't hang out with her, and you definitely wouldn't be-"

"Regulus Arcturus Black!" a shriek came from behind him. He turned around just in time to see a hand arriving at him at the speed of light before Hermione slapped his cheek so hard his head snapped to the side.

He turned around to face her, a murderous look in his eye. "What the hell was that for?" he demanded.

"For being an incorrigible bastard!" she answered, fuming just as much as he was.

"Me?" he asked, pointing at his chest in shock. "Did you see how much of a slut you were acting like? Dry humping every single guy in this retched nightclub?"

"I'll have you know that I did not dry hump you!" she yelled at him. "Besides, you weren't much better; when I found you, you were about to shag an innocent girl!"

"Why did you find me anyway?" he asked. "Or were you looking for me? A little jealous, were you?"

"Excuse me?" she asked, her eyes as wide as saucers.

"Yeah, you heard me!" he continued. "You were being a jealous bitch and interrupted me when I was about to have some much needed sex! You should try it too… Oh wait! I forgot! You're little Miss Perfect, so you must be a prudish, square ice queen!"

*Crack!* She slapped him across his other cheek. "The prudish, square ice queen would like to let you know that you a hypocritical arse, since you were jealous because Severus was the one would mastered up enough gut to ask me to dance and not you. Now, since we've closed this up, I'm leaving."

And with that, she stormed off, leaving behind two very surprised teenagers. "She's got a point, you know." Severus said after a while.

"Oh, shut up!" Regulus answered icily, no pun intended. He caught sight of Hermione again, she was grabbing her handbag and telling Sirius something. He nodded and they both headed out the door. "What does she think she's doing?" he asked no one in particular. "She's going to leave with him? Doesn't she know who he is?"

"No offence, Regulus, but you're not exactly much better." Severus butt in, but Regulus wasn't listening anymore. He stood up abruptly and followed the pair outside. When he stepped out in the cold evening air, he noticed it was raining, or rather, drizzling. The droplets of water were washing away the bits and pieces of the snow that had earlier covered the whole city. In the distance, he saw his brother conjure an umbrella for Hermione, and the latter smile radiantly in thanks.

An inexplicable fire lit up in his chest, roaring and he was filled with two thoughts: '_She's mine._' and '_I'm gonna kill him._' He strode up to them, yelling: "Hey!"

They turned to face him, and Hermione's gaze darkened. "What, Regulus?" she asked, venom in her voice.

Her tone stung, but what hurt him more was the protective arm Sirius put around her as they stood there, sheltered from the rain as he was alone and drenched. "What do you think you're doing?" he asked, trying to sound angry when all he felt was pure desperation.

"What's it to you?" she bit back. Her words, for some strange reason, were like daggers to his heart, and he wanted to curl up in a corner and stay there… Forever.

"You can't go with him!" he said pointing to the man who used to be his brother. The arm around Hermione's shoulders and his throat tightened at the same time.

"Why not?" she demanded, pointing her nose higher in the air as the rain poured into his eyes, mingling with the tears that were just itching to fall.

"Because…" he stuttered. "Because he's a traitor."

She shook her head, making her hair float around her head in a halo. "He's a traitor to his own interests. In common language, we call that selflessness. You should take a page from his book."

He was angry at her again. "Fine!" he yelled, throwing his arms up in the air. "Fine! Go! See if I care!" and he turned around, wiping his nose on his sleeve. Minutes passed, but no sound came from any of them. Not the distinctive crack of Disapparition, not footsteps walking away, nothing.

Finally, he heard a sigh. "Let's just leave, Sirius." Hermione said, in a much softer voice than the one she had used with him.

"Wait, Hermione." he called out without turning around. "Before you go, just admit it… You were jealous."

Another long silence followed, while neither moved, until Regulus stuffed his hands down his pockets and started to leave. Then a tiny voice came from behind him. "Yes." she said. "I was jealous."

"Then why are you leaving?" he asked softly, turning around. "Why are you leaving when I don't want you to?"

"Because I don't care about you." she tried, all her anger evaporated in the small droplets that framed both their faces.

He shook his head. "Don't you lie to me Hermione." he whispered, walking back towards her. "Lie to yourself all you want, lie to Dumbledore, lie to your friends, but don't lie to me."

"Stop tormenting her, you unnerving bastard!" Sirius yelled, taking a step forward.

Regulus wiped some rain out of his face and said: "Last time I checked, yours was the name blasted out of the family tree."

Sirius was about to come up with another witty response, but Hermione cut him. "Both of you stop it!" she turned to Regulus. "What makes you think I'm lying?" she asked.

He smiled slightly. "The simple fact that you care about me gives you away." he explained, taking another step towards her.

"I don't care about you!" she defended herself, stepping towards him too, now on the edge of the area protected by the umbrella Sirius was holding.

He raised an eyebrow and took another step. "Really? Then why aren't you leaving? Why are you still arguing with me when you're so damn sure you're right? It's because you want to make me believe it, right?"

"You want me to leave, don't you?" she asked, taking another step, now in pray to the heavier droplets falling from the darkening clouds above.

He smirked and took another taunting step. "You care about my personal opinion?"

"Not at all!" she told him, sounding slightly appalled.

He shook his head and took another step, making then now barely two meters apart. "You respond with such ardour…"

"Not ardour; anger."

Another step. "… Trying to convince yourself…"

"I hate you."

Another step. "Quite the contrary, Hermione."

"How would you know?"

Another step. They were now mere centimetres apart, and could feel each other's breaths, while Sirius stood there, wondering whether he should leave or not. "Because…" Regulus explained, raising his right hand slightly out of his pocket. "I know."

She gulped down. "No." she denied.

"Yes." he whispered. "You were jealous, were you not? Why didn't you just tell me? That's what friends are for."

He placed his hovering hand on the nape of her neck and she asked: "Why didn't you?"

He half smiled. "I'm a Slytherin. A slimy, stinking snake, right?"

She smiled too and shook her head. "Sad, sadistic, slimy swine." she corrected him. "Although… You are both."

"And you are the most cowardly Gryffindor I've ever met." he laughed, placing his second hand on the small of her back.

"Really?" she asked, both of her hands now on his shoulders as she looked defiantly at him. "I believe no cowardly Gryffindor would do this." she declared and, pushing herself on her tip toes, she kissed him.

Smiling against her parting lips, he kissed her back, pulling her as close as their rain stained bodies could take. Their lips slid against each other's as the rain fell harder against their moulding bodies. And on and on they kissed, until a peal of thunder made them jump apart. They each gave a short laugh, before letting go of each other. Sirius stared.

Regulus pulled out his wand as Hermione walked back to Sirius. He was about to Disapparate when he called out to her. "Hey, Hermione?"

She turned around, rolling her eyes. "What now, Regulus?"

He smirked. "I won the argument!" before spinning around and disappearing with a loud _crack_.

As he felt himself being squashed in a thin rubber tube, he thought he felt Hermione yell: "Git!" He chuckled.

-o-O-o-

As Regulus lay in bed after landing at 12, Grimmauld Place, he realised he was in three things.

Firstly, he was in love. He was in love with Hermione Granger and there was nothing he could do about it.

Secondly, he was in pain. He was in pain because he was torn between his duty and the words his heart uttered to him.

Thirdly, he was in deep, deep shit. He chuckled at the very thought. After all, he was standing on the edge of a cliff; and anyone who found out about his situation could push him over the rocky edges. That meant certain death.

'_But then again_,' he thought as sleep began to claim him. '_Things can't go downhill, when I'm on a cliff._'

-o-O-o-

**That last part was a little wink towards my upcoming HG/SB:_ 'The Cliff'_. ;) Anyway, I hope you enjoyed that!**

**Please review, tell me what your favourite line was and stuff like that! Have a nice day!**


	22. Just An Old House

**Disclaimer:**** Sadly, I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters. Everything belongs to JK Rowling, and I'm merely allowed to play around with them. No copyright infringement is intended.**

_Chapter 22_

-o-O-o-

The rest of Hermione's holidays were plagued by thought of Regulus. She found herself stupid for kissing him. After all, wouldn't she look ridiculous if he didn't return her attraction?

'_You're so dumb, Hermione!_' she told herself as Sirius took hold of her hand to Apparate her back to King's Cross.

She and he hadn't talked much, and none of them had mentioned the kiss, which was perfectly fine with her. That was one less person to worry about. After all, he was the only person who knew about it without being one of the main 'actors'.

She hopped onto the train while the boys loaded her luggage in the back. It was one of the advantages of being in this timeline, boys were much more gallant.

She started to walk towards the back, intending on finding Regulus and talking to him. After a while, she came across a nearly full compartment, and heard voices. Or, more particularly, a certain, very recognisable voice. "- not agree with you, Avery, wand lore commercials should not be restricted to-"

Without waiting for any more, she slammed the door open and looked inside. It was full to the brim with people she knew were Death Eaters in her timeline. '_Phew!_' she told herself. '_Maybe I just interrupted his only chance to join the Death Eaters._' Knowing full well that this hypothesis was fairly unlikely, she contented herself with telling Regulus, who was now staring directly and intently at her: "I need to talk to you."

The boy who had cornered her on her first day here scoffed. "So what?" he asked. "A dignified Pure Blood like Black doesn't bow to your needs!"

The others around him started laughing, but Regulus snapped. "Shut up, Avery!" He turned to another guy. "Yaxley, stop laughing; you sound like a female Grindilow having her baby." He turned back to Hermione. "What do you want to see me for?" His glare was icy cold, although she could sense amusement deep down.

She sighed. "I want to sort a couple of things out." she said.

He smirked, confirming her suspicions. "What about?"

He was clearly taunting her, and she didn't bite the bait. "If I say it in front of your little friends, I'm not responsible for what follows." There. She had turned the tide.

He didn't seem at all perturbed by that. He stood up, still smirking. "You're getting good." he said. He walked out the door and turned around, addressing himself to all the Death Eaters in the compartment. "Excuse me ladies," he nodded at each and every one of them. When he arrived at Yaxley, he added: "And Grindilow, but it appears as though Granger and I have some serious matters to deal with, no pun intended."

And with that, he closed the door, facing Hermione with his full height. It was either he had grown a lot during the last week of the holiday, either she was scared of him and found him imposing, but he seemed to tower over her even more than usual.

"So," he said, breaking her out of her reverie. "What do you want to talk about?"

The train started moving; but both barely noticed. "I want to talk about us." she admitted.

He moved closer to her and she backed off, at least until her back hit the window and all that was left to do was stare at his figure looming over hers. He approached even closer, so that his lips were at her ear as he whispered: "What is there to talk about?"

Momentarily stunned, she managed to mumble: "Well… I'm not going to beat around the bush, so are we a couple or what?"

He brushed his nose gently against her neck, placing his hands on either side of her head, trapping her against his body. "That," he whispered. "Is for me to decide, and for you to follow."

She gulped as his hands moved closer to her body and started roaming around her face. "Don't you think that's slightly unfair?" she asked.

His hands left her face and moved lower, brushing slightly against her breasts before continuing their descent. "Actually," he whispered. "I think it's unfair for me." He placed a light kiss on her neck, making her shiver.

"May I ask why you think that?" she asked, her voice quivering.

He chuckled as his hands landed on her legs, pulling them up and wrapping them around his thin waist. He pulled away and stared at her eyes intently. "Well,' he continued, just as quietly. "You are mine after all."

She regained her senses, suddenly, and blubbered: "Yours? Full of yourself much?"

He stared at her, but this time, his eyes weren't playful. His hands moved from her legs to her shirt, slipping under and splaying across her stomach. She shivered because his hands were cold, but they made her feel so warm, inside, that she leaned in to increase the contact. "See that?" he asked. "Only I can do that to you. That's why you're mine."

"I… I…" she mumbled incoherently, because truly, she didn't want to protest anymore.

He leaned in and pressed his lips to her neck once more. She moaned breathlessly and he whispered in her ear: "My little vixen…"

And with that, he moved his hands back to her legs, unhooked them and set them back on the ground and pulling away, a huge evil grin on his face.

"Well," he said, shoving his hands down his pockets, a huge grin plastered on his face. "I'm certainly glad that's sorted out." And with nothing short of a playful slap on her butt, he left her there, dishevelled and breathless, in a corridor of the Hogwarts Express.

-o-O-o-

Since Hermione and Regulus couldn't exactly be called a couple, they did nothing for Valentine's day. In fact, they rarely did anything at all that was out of the ordinary for them.

They still hung out and were great friends, it was just that Regulus sometimes had tendencies to pull her into a broom closet unannounced and leave five minutes later, looking perfectly groomed and dressed while she was half naked, hot and bothered, her lips swollen and her hair a mess.

On Regulus' seventeenth birthday, on March the seventh, Hermione still concocted a little party for him, in the kitchens, and had dressed in green for the occasion. He had smiled and kissed her sweetly.

It was in moments like these that Hermione questioned her feelings for Regulus. Sometimes she felt as it was her duty, that she was only doing this to save him from his fate and to get information about Time-Travel, but the rest of the time… She found herself imagining things she shouldn't… The type of ungodly thoughts she simply couldn't put in words.

Despite her fears and occasional doubts, she still supported him every step of the way, through his Quidditch matches (which he won whenever James was not against him), all his classes, even the ones that they didn't have in common, and their relationship.

He couldn't deny that she was supportive. Without her, he'd probably have collapsed under the pressure of maintaining both his image, his relationship with her and his status as Death Eater. Near the Easter holidays, the Dark Lord's trust in him had amplified when he found himself saving a catch the rest of them had almost lost.

The Dark Lord had never looked at him twice until then. After that raping fiasco with Rosier, he had been sent to do some killing with Severus, and had succeeded. His friend had helped him block out his thoughts so that he didn't feel disgusted by the blood spurting and the guts spilling. It was a ruthless world out there, and he needed to be on the winning side.

That's why, on his first true mission, when the witch they had kidnapped managed to Stun his cousin Bella and run away, he killed her instantly. She had given away all her secrets, anyway, so there was no more need for filth like her. And all he had been expected to do was watch for Aurors.

And so he had been both punished and rewarded.

The Dark Lord had told him that he could make it to the High Council, where his newly cousin in law Lucius was, if he continued that way, in less than a year. "But then again," he had mused. "You disobeyed your orders… you should have stayed at your place and not moved a muscle… Believe me, you will pay… I just need to find a suitable punishment for you first."

That had probably been one of the scariest moments of Regulus Arcturus Black's life.

In any case, everything was going smoothly for him. He passed his end of year exams _les doigts dans le nez_, like his French cousins would say. Hermione nearly flew through them, thanks to her uncanny ability to revise 24/7. In any case, then came the problem of what they would do for the vacation.

"You can't stay at Hogwarts," Hermione had philosophised. "And I can't come at your place. Your parents would kill me and roast me on the spot, like they would do with an old house elf."

He had flinched. "Thanks for the image." he said. "It was very… descriptive."

"You forget real." she'd told him.

"Actually, we just chop the house elves' heads off when they get too old." he'd corrected her.

She had rolled her eyes and bitten her lip. "That's a shame, I'd have loved to have gone to your place." she had admitted.

He'd stared at her. "It's just a dusty old house with ghouls in the closets, there's really nothing to be excited about." he'd tried to reason.

She'd turned to him and smiled brilliantly, her eyes twinkling. "I heard there was one of the best furnished libraries in Britain."

He'd laughed. "It's true." he'd said. "If you want to know something about the Dark Arts, there is no better place to learn." He'd turned to her. "I'll try my parents out of the house for a day, like that you can come to my place and _read_."

With the emphasis on the 'read' and the wiggle of his eyebrows, he'd made it clear they weren't going to read if she ever went there.

And so they had parted on good terms. The Hogwarts Express had been as punctual as ever, so they didn't have the time to kiss. They'd waved at each other even long after they couldn't catch any glimpse of the other.

Hermione had re-taken her part time job at the Three Broomsticks, but she somehow was jollier about it. She woke early every day, worked, did her homework, wrote to Regulus and her friends and went to sleep late. Despite the busy days, she was happier than she'd been in a long time… And she had no idea why.

As she pondered on the reason for her weird happiness, on a warm July Friday night, she heard a tap on her window. She looked up and saw Regulus' favourite owl, a raven black one with bright golden eyes named Pisces. She opened the window and let the majestic bird fly in, dropping a letter on her bed on the way.

Popping a couple of owl treats on her desk for Pisces to nibble at, she took the piece of parchment and opened it. The letter was short, but it took her breath away.

* * *

_Dear Hermione,_

_Tomorrow is my uncle Alphard's burial. My parents hated him for giving all his money to Sirius, but he was still family, so they're going. _

_They are not, however, making me go, so I guess you know what that means._

_See you tomorrow,_

_Regulus Arcturus Black_

_PS: Don't you find it weird that they bury him months after his death? Apparently, it was to place all sorts of spells on him to keep his corpse from rotting… Gross. _

_PPS: Have sweet dreams. :)_

* * *

As she finished his letter, she smiled. Not only at Regulus' weird sense of humour, but also with happiness.

After all, tomorrow, she was going to Grimmauld place.

-o-O-o-

**I know this is a) short b) late but I am going through a bad case of writer's block, where nothing I write seems right… With a little bit of luck, I'll have the next chapter next week, but don't count on it too much… I'm sad too.**

**Anyway, I've got a new poll up for those who want Regulus and Hermione to end up together. Which they will, in any case. Also, the usual, please review, follow me on Twitter, check out my profile and have a nice day! :)**


	23. Temperature

**Disclaimer:**** Sadly, I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters. Everything belongs to JK Rowling, and I'm merely allowed to play around with them. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**I'm actually going to dedicate this chapter to Leo, a faithful anonymous reviewer (who should get an account, by the way) and who managed to guess what was happening in this chapter. Also, I was surprised, in both a good and bad way, when I saw the results for the last chapter. I had over 1 300 views in one day, which is huge (my last maximum was 569 views in one day), if you ask me, but only two reviews. :'( Did you guys give up on me? Anyway, on with the story.**

_Chapter 23_

-o-O-o-

Before she left for Grimmauld place came the recurring problem that she faced every time something important came up: "What should I wear?"

She sometimes found herself shallow for thinking that, but this time, it was of capital importance. She needed to look good for Regulus. After all, he did insist that she was his. Although she didn't fully agree with him on that subject, she did take some odd sense of pride in hearing she was a sort of property that he treasured.

After throwing another dress on her bed, the one in Sirius' flat, she turned frustrated at her incapability to find something decent to wear. "_Remus_!" she called out shrilly.

The teenager walked inside a couple of seconds later, examining the mess she had made. When he had finished surveying the area, he heaved a huge sigh and proceeded with the usual routine. "You know, Hermione," he said after a while. "One of these days, I'm gonna be happily married and you'll have to clean your room on your own, pick out your outfits on your own…"

She sighed. "Drop the act, Remus. Your future wife could be in labour and you'd still come and help me." she pointed out.

He huffed indignantly and threw her a piece of fabric. "There, try this on. It's for Regulus I assume?" he asked, folding the rest of the clothes and putting them back in their respective drawers and shelves.

She tucked the cloth under her arm and looked at him. Remus had found out about her and Regulus at an early stage, around four months ago, if not more. "You assume correctly." she said, and walked to her bathroom. It was one of the best parts of living here, it as huge and she had her own bathroom, a luxury she couldn't afford at Hogwarts.

She changed quickly and once again silently praised Remus for his good work. The dress he'd picked was black and casual, without giving her a neglected aspect or anything of the sort. When she'd also brushed herself she thought she looked… surprisingly attracting.

After applying a small amount of mascara, she picked up a handbag and her wand (for she had passed her Apparition test with Regulus, near the end of the school year) and headed out of her room.

Sirius was the only person in sight, taking his breakfast, drinking orange juice with a buttered toast in one hand. When he saw her, he gagged and spat orange juice all over the sofa that was in front of him. She smiled. "How do I look?" she asked, twirling around slightly cheekily to give him a better view.

Sirius wiped his mouth on the back of his hand and gulped. "You look amazing, Hermione." He cleared his throat. "It's a shame you're wasting that beauty on my brother, though."

She rolled her eyes. "I think he's worth it." she told him.

She grabbed her stuff and prepared to leave, just as Sirius called out: "He's going to end up hurting you, you know?"

She left the flat and stood in the doorway, slightly annoyed at Sirius for believing such insanities. '_He'd never hurt me! You did!_' she thought.

Little did she know he was very much right.

-o-O-o-

Regulus had everything ready for Hermione's arrival. She was scheduled to arrive at 14:45 sharp, and he would wait behind the door to greet her with a bouquet of roses. That was what he was doing at 14:39, just waiting for her to arrive punctually, as she always did. Then he remembered something.

"_Shit!_" he yelled, sprinting to the kitchen with his bouquet in hand.

He had told Kreacher to bug off somewhere so he wouldn't tell his parents that a Muggle-born had penetrated the house. That tended to make him forgetful about things he didn't always take care of, like…

"Oh, _fuck_! The chocolates!" he cursed. He had bought a huge box of very expensive chocolates for her, and had left them next to the cooker.

Unfortunately for him, he was cooking some lamb just next to it, and by the time he'd arrived, the chocolates had melted into a puddle.

He put the bouquet down on a table and pulled out his wand, casting a simple siphoning charm. Pleased with his work, he turned around and prepared to head back to the door when the clock chimed quarter to three.

Then, just as if she was timed like the clock, Hermione knocked three times on the door and entered. Panicking, Regulus spun around to find his bouquet, which he promptly grabbed from the table. "Regulus?" Hermione called out.

"I'm coming!" he answered, spinning back towards the door. Unfortunately for him, stress had made his hands sweaty and the bouquet slipped from his grip, flying off and landing into the pan of cooking lamb.

The bouquet, being a very big one, overweighed the pan and it toppled, clattering to the ground and spilling burning sauce and rose petals all over the floor. "Are you alright?" Hermione asked from the doorway.

"Holy mother fucking son of a-" Regulus cursed, before regaining control of himself. "Yeah, I'm fine! I just need to do something and I'll be right here!"

"I'll be waiting!" she answered, hooking her coat on a coat hanger. Regulus vanished what was left of the bouquet and the lamb, simmering in juice on the kitchen floor, and left the room.

Hermione was smiling. She looked like a goddess. Trying to hide his discomfort, he messed his hair up a little and said: "Uh… I just needed to clean something."

She nodded. "Oh… Okay." When he came closer and hugged her, she sniffed his shirt. "You smell divine. What is it that you cooked?"

He pulled away and held her at arms length. "Forget the cooking. Let's go to the library."

-o-O-o-

Regulus found it slightly odd that Hermione looked in the time travel section as soon as she arrived. When he asked her about it, she just answered: "Oh, I was just wondering if it was possible to go to the future."

He had laughed. "Hermione, I've read every single one of these books, I know better than anyone that it is impossible to go to the future. It would disrupt the flow of-"

"-space-time continuum, resulting in either the traveller being stuck in a foreign dimension and every trace of the person wiped from our universe, or and cataclysmic explosion wiping out every single thing the world holds." she recited, her nose pinched in annoyance. "I know that. But these are just theories. Nothing's ever been tried."

As she went back to her reading, Regulus wondered why she cared so much about that. It was almost as if she took it… personally.

Whatever her reason for wanting to read all these books, Regulus was starting to be really bored. At first, he coped. But then, when the room seemed to be getting tighter, the temperature hiked up, making his palms sweat, and Hermione didn't seem to notice anything, he had a much harder time coping.

He cleared his throat. "Whoa, it's hot in here. I should open a window."

He stood up to do so, but Hermione looked up from her book and called out: "Please don't, Regulus, it's too cool in here."

"But, Hermione," he wined. "It's boiling in here."

She sighed. "I said no, Regulus."

Resorting to more effective manners, he walked up behind her armchair and bent over her, as if reading her book over her shoulder. She seemed unfazed, so he passed on to a different level. He came closer to her and gently kissed her neck.

"Regulus," she half whined, half moaned. "I'm reading."

"I can see that." he whispered in her ear, making her shiver. "Let me open the window."

She shook her head, throwing her hair in his face. "No. You can do what you like, but you're definitely _not_ opening that window."

He smirked. "You know what?" he asked her softly. "I think I like it better that way." And he placed his lips back on her neck, kissing her again.

She put up good resistance, but she was truly no match for him. She managed, at first, to resist his attacks, but as soon and the kisses became more forceful, she started to fidget. Then his hands got involved. They worked their way down until they found the gentle curve of her breasts.

She writhed a little but still refused to give in. He massaged her soft mounds and kissed her neck, long opened mouth kisses that left her tingling at the touch and shivering when his breath made them cold. He was kissing her on a spot he new was sensitive when he sucked a little. The kind of suck that would leave a mark later.

And she snapped.

But not in the way he was expecting.

She suddenly threw her book across the table in front of her and spun around to face him. He braced himself for a slap he thought might come, but never did. Instead, she grabbed his collar and pulled him forcefully towards her lips, kissing him with ardent fever.

Glad at this turn of tide, he kissed her back with equal fervour, walking around the armchair at the same time so they could kiss with nothing between them. Somehow, he managed to sit down and pull her on her lap without hurting her.

Hermione's dress came of rather rapidly. However, she quickly found it unfair and began unbuttoning his shirt. He watched, mesmerised, as she undid each button one by one and kissed his newly exposed chest. When all the buttons were off, she splayed her hands on his chest and traced the outline of his abs, staring intently in his eyes.

He shrugged off the shirt and she moved her hands to her shoulders. Slowly, still looking straight into his eyes, she moved along his arms, making this one of the most, if not the most, erotic moment of their lives. That was at least, until her fingers squeezed his Mark.

He hissed.

She froze.

Then slowly, ever so slowly, her eyes moved to his left forearm, and he knew what she saw. She saw an ugly twisted snake and a skull, the symbol of pure Dark magic, and the one of the darkest Lord that has ever walked this Earth.

She snapped her hands back to herself, clapping then over her mouth, speechless. Her eyes moved to his Mark, then to his eyes, then back and forth again. He sat there, frozen, as she whispered a single word. "_No_."

That single word held so much despair he had suicidal envies immediately. She sounded broken, as if her whole world had burst into shambles and shattered all around her.

And then she was gone. Off his lap, scrambling for her dress as they had discarded it so recklessly. That was when he regained his senses.

He stood up abruptly, knocking the armchair backwards as she tried to put her clothes back on. "Hermione, I can explain." he tried.

She turned to him. "Explain what?" she snapped. "There's nothing to explain. I don't even want to hear you." She pulled her dress on, grabbed her handbag and headed for the door.

"Hermione, wait!" he called out, reaching out to grab her arm. He pulled her towards him and she spun to him, landing against his hot, naked chest.

"Let me go!" she shrieked, desperately trying to free herself of his iron grip. "Let me go you treacherous, back stabbing, evil like bastard!"

"Hermione…" he whispered. "Hermione, please don't do this."

She stopped struggling and looked up at him. Through the tears of rage, he saw something in her eyes he'd never seen before.

Fear.

She was afraid of him.

As if burnt by her display of emotions, he let her go, a stunned expression marred on his face. She staggered away, turning back towards the door, which she promptly opened up. Before she stepped out, however, she called out:

"You know Regulus, I was talking with your brother a couple hours ago… He told me you'd hurt me, and I didn't believe a word he said… You proved me wrong. I hate you, Regulus Arcturus Black." And with that, she stormed out, slamming the door as she went.

If he had been properly conscious, he would have run after her, told her he was sorry a million times… But he just stood there, as if petrified by the eyes of a Basilisk.

Suddenly, his brain burst into action, and he ran out after her, going through the rooms at high speed, before slamming the front door open and yelling out: "Hermione, _I love you!_"

But she was gone. She was gone and she wasn't coming back. And even he knew that now.

And a gust of freezing wind hit his bare chest broadly, all Regulus wanted to do was curl up in a ball and die.

-o-O-o-

**Please review! These things make my day! :)**


	24. An Unwound Future

**Disclaimer:**** Sadly, I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters. Everything belongs to JK Rowling, and I'm merely allowed to play around with them. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Another chapter dedicated to Leo, who caught the 100th review. Congratulations! :D Thanks to all my reviewers in general, of course. ;) I know on my profile, I said I'd update tomorrow, but here I am! Please go vote on my poll! Tell me if you'd like them to be married, with twenty children or... or dead, if you like. :p On with the story.  
**

_Chapter 24_

-o-O-o-

___July 29__th__ 1978_

_Dear Diary, _

_I know I've been neglecting you as of late, but now, I'm faced with problems. All kinds of problems. And they generally revolve around one person:_

_Regulus._

_I know I haven't talked much to you about him, just that he betrayed me, then came back, all about our 'relationship' and stuff…_

_The thing about our relationship is… It's over now._

_Turns out he was a Death Eater, and I was desperately trying to save him when I couldn't. He joined when I deliberately told him not to._

_Oops, I'll tell you later, McGonagall is coming._

_Bye,_

_Hermione_

-o-O-o-

___August 4__th__ 1978_

_Dear Diary, _

_I know I was supposed to tell you earlier, but I really didn't have the guts to face you just yet. Which is dumb, because you don't even have a face._

_He knew what he was doing, and probably knew the reaction I was going to have, so he cowardly hid his Mark to keep me from ever finding out._

_But I did. And it was his fault, too. He could have just kept his shirt on and I would have remained blissfully ignorant, for as long as he desired. _

_He played with me, used me, even, just for his own entertainment while he licked Voldemort's feet behind my back. I don't think I can ever forgive him for that._

_Well, I'm tired of speaking about nothing but him, so I guess I'll just go._

_Lots of love, _

_Hermione_

-o-O-o-

___August 15__th__ 1978_

_Dear Diary, _

_I've got a couple of letters from my friends. They seemed thoughtful enough._

_When I finished reading them, I thought of Regulus, and came up with an interesting fact: I can't change the timeline._

_Basically, James and Lily will die in a couple of years, Regulus will too, Sirius will spend twelve years in Azkaban and Remus will go bankrupt._

_And there's nothing I can do about it. It's depressing._

_All that's left for me now is to try and go back to where I came from._

_Goodnight, I feel tired,_

_Hermione_

_PS: I just got my Hogwarts letter. I'm Head Girl._

-o-O-o-

___September 1__st__ 1978_

_Dear Diary, _

_Today was the going back to Hogwarts day. I found out Regulus was Head Boy. What was Dumbledore thinking, giving a Death Eater such a status? I confronted him about it, and all he said was: "People can find redemption in regret."_

_I think it was his way of saying he was hoping we'd stitch up so he could go back to the light side. Whatever. I'm not going anywhere near him again._

_I hope to God I won't dream of him,_

_Hermione_

-o-O-o-

___October 23__rd__ 1978_

_Dear Diary, _

_I'm sorry I haven't written much lately. It's just that nothing has happened._

_I still hate Regulus. I hate him for the same reasons. But somehow, I also hate myself for letting him come this close to me. I should have let him stay away. We would have hated each other, and things would have ended up fine for both of us._

_Anyway, that's not what I wanted to talk about. I just got a letter from Lily, she and James are getting married in a couple of months. They want me to be bridesmaid, and I accepted. At least one fun thing is happening._

_Days are flying by and I still have no idea how to go back to 1996. Dumbledore's not helping me either; he keeps saying it's impossible._

_I feel as if the whole world is against me, but I know I'll survive._

_Until next time,_

_Hermione_

-o-O-o-

___December 24__th__ 1978_

_Dear Diary, _

_It's Christmas Eve, and James and Lily just got married. You should've seen the celebration, it was awesome! I'm happier than I have been in months! This proves that I don't need Regulus to be happy!_

_James confided in me after the celebration that he and Lily were talking kids… I want kids later. The only problem is: when is later? Here, or back in my timeline? Then again, another problem comes up: with whom?_

_My life is fairly confusing at the moment, what with me ignoring Regulus so much that I don't even go to Quidditch matches anymore!_

_And before anyone can say anything, I DO NOT regret ending it with him. He is a Death Eater and has to be treated as such. I will not do otherwise._

_Bye,_

_Hermione_

_PS: Remus finally told me he was a werewolf. I laughed. It was all pretty funny._

-o-O-o-

___January 1__st__ 1979_

_Dear Diary, _

_Happy New Year! May every single one of your wishes come true! Then again, you're a diary, you don't have wishes…_

_I'm slightly tipsy while writing this, which explains my horrible handwriting… Sorry!_

_I'm staying at Sirius' place with Remus, since James and Lily moved out to Godric's Hollow… I'm alone at home with two desirable men… Then again, Mary is sharing Remus' bed so I might not go there._

_But Sirius' is empty… I know I shouldn't be thinking this sort of stuff, but since I turned 18 a few months ago, I figured no man is out of my league now._

_I asked Sirius to pop my cherry a couple of minutes ago and he replied something along the lines of: "Not while three litres of Firewhiskey pool in your veins." That's dumb, because I didn't drink three litres… I think._

_Oh, well, I hope the hangover won't be bad tomorrow._

_Goodnight,_

_Hermione_

-o-O-o-

___ January 12__th__ 1979_

_Dear Diary,_

_I'm back at school! I'm sorry about that last time I wrote to you, I wasn't feeling very well and… Well, you can guess what happened._

_As for the popping my cherry part, it must have been one of the most embarrassing moments of my life._

_Although, if I don't find anybody else, I think Sirius would make a good choice. For marriage, I mean. I always wanted a kid, at least a son, and Sirius could give me that. Then He'd go to Azkaban (which I can't help) and I'd be a dutiful wife and bring him treats every now and then._

_We could even learn to love each other._

_As I daydream, Professor Binns is bound to catch me writing, so I should best go. Bye!_

_Hermione_

-o-O-o-

___ February 14__th__ 1979_

_Dear Diary,_

_I hate Valentine's Day._

_All these pink letters flying in all directions and singing beautiful love songs to other girls while I only get two! I mean, two real Valentines… Well one, since one of them was just a heart shaped card with nothing written inside…_

_I also got a couple of letters from the Marauders, wishing me happy Valentine's day. Sirius was the one who sent me the other Valentine… It was really cute, with a little poem inside, very Sirius-y:_

'_Roses are red,  
Violets are blue,  
Sugar is sweet,  
And so are you!_

_I suck at poetry,  
I didn't do this on my own,  
You'll have to thank Moony,  
While I disclaim: "I don't own!"_

_And while he rambles,  
Let me just say,  
My heart's in shambles,  
When you're away!_

_Come back soon,  
I'll kick Remus out,  
He'll howl at the moon,  
When all we do is shout._

_As you can see,  
I want you back,  
Home here with me,  
Wolf in the Shack!_

_Forget everything else,  
It will all turn out fine,  
And, as you can guess,  
I'm asking you to be mine!'_

_I found it absolutely adorable! I told him we'd figure everything out when I come back… When I do, I'm probably going to accept his offer._

_I actually like Valentine 's Day a bit better now!_

_Hermione_

-o-O-o-

___April 30__th__ 1979_

_Dear Diary, _

_Yes, I know it's been a while. But truthfully, nothing has happened much these days, so I couldn't exactly do much. Or write much, anyway._

_So, what I wanted to say is that Sirius, Remus, Mary, James, Peter and Lily have joined the Order of the Phoenix. Dumbledore invited me to come too, but I told him I'd wait._

_All of that happened during the Easter holidays. I stayed a Sirius' place with Remus and Mary. One night, he managed to kick them out too and… well, we only had dinner, and he'd cooked something and was really cute, so… now we're back together. I hope he can make me forget about Regulus. _

_Gods, why does this single Death Eater plague my mind?! All we did was snog once in a while! And now… Now he ignores me too. His face is always unreadable when I walk by, although I'm pretty sure he regrets a lot too._

_Sometimes, I wonder if we could have ended up together, Regulus and I… If, somewhere in the deepest archives of time, there is a story called 'Regulus Arcturus Black, Hermione Jean Granger; an Unwound Future'. That would be weird… But, then again it'd give me something to talk about._

_I guess I've got to go back to class, and start revising for my N.E.W.T.'s._

_Goodbye,_

_Hermione_

-o-O-o-

___June 12__th__ 1979_

_Dear Diary, _

_This is N.E.W.T.'s week. I hope I'll do well in them; they represent my career, after all!_

_I've made a choice… I've accepted that going forward in time is impossible, so I'm just going to settle here. I've accepted to join the Order, and my first mission will take place sometime in July._

_I'm just going to settle down with Sirius, live happily, visit him when he's in Azkaban, have a few children, raise them, fight for my husband's pardon and die next to him, happy and fulfilled. Nothing can get in the way of that._

_Not even Regulus._

_Not this time, I won't let him. He hurt me twice; I won't let him hurt me a third time. Maybe this sounds awfully selfish of me, but I'm done with him. I don't even want to hear his name ever again._

_And just as an anecdote, if I possessed that book, 'Regulus Arcturus Black, Hermione Jean Granger; an Unwound Future', I'd burn it._

_Goodbye, wish me luck._

_Hermione_

-o-O-o-

**Thankfully for us, Hermione often goes back on her word. :) Please review!**


	25. The Pyramid

**Disclaimer:**** Sadly, I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters. Everything belongs to JK Rowling, and I'm merely allowed to play around with them. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**My thanks to all the people who reviewed yesterday, you guys are the best! :) Also, my poll will be up for another month or so, I guess that by that time, they'll have figured out what they want to do with their lives. :p Unless I stumble in more writer's block. Anyway, on with the story.  
**

_Chapter 25_

-o-O-o-

…_24__th__ October 1979…_

Hermione's eyes opened to stare at the pale ceiling of Sirius' room. She stared around for a few seconds and noticed that her boyfriend was still fast asleep. Good. She needed some time alone right now.

She had just awoken from the same dream that haunted her during her Christmas holidays, almost two years ago. Every time, it just came back, the very same dream, starting at the same moment and ending at the same too. It was starting to wear her out.

She quietly slipped out of bed and headed to the kitchen to make herself some breakfast. Something important was happening today, but she had forgotten what.

Sirius woke up half an hour later, striding out of his, no, _their_, room, a huge grin on his face. She was on the sofa, curled up and sipping her second mug of Earl Grey. "Hey, beautiful." he greeted her, coming up behind her.

"Hi." She smiled and twisted her neck towards him to allow his lips to kiss hers softly. He pulled away after a while, walking back to the kitchen and pouring himself his own mug, before walking back to the living room and setting down next to her.

He took a long sip and asked. "Why did you leave this morning, we could've had some fun before Egypt."

'_Egypt._' she thought. '_That's what I'd forgotten._' Than aloud: "I sorry, Sirius, I'd rather have all my energy to face whatever is coming on there." Sex was not new to them. After all, she'd moved on, and dating Sirius Black as a virgin was much easier when you were at school than when you lived at his place.

He smirked. "We still have time, you know." he replied cheekily.

Just then, Remus entered the room from the kitchen doorway with his own mug of tea and said: "I agree with Hermione, we should have all the energy we can get. It's a really important mission, after all."

Sirius groaned. "It's safe, for hell's sake! Hestia Jones went there to investigate the terrain with her squad! She sent us a letter saying the coast was clear!" he claimed, pulling a piece of parchment from under a book and waving it around their noses.

Hermione sighed. "You never know, Sirius. Better safe than sorry."

He growled and declared. "You'll be sorry when my sexual tension mounts up so high in that hot pyramid with tight passages that I just grab you, push you against a wall and-"

"I think she gets the idea, Sirius." Mary declared, entering the room with her own mug of tea. "Hello, honey." she smiled, pulling Remus in for a fervent kiss.

After a few minutes, it went so far that both of them had to put their mugs down to be able to feel each other better. "Ugh!" Sirius exclaimed. "And I don't even get any of that. I'm going to dress." And with that, Sirius finished his mug and stalked back to his room.

Shaking her head, Hermione tipped her mug back and finished it, before walking back to the kitchen to get another. The teapot was empty.

And, for strange and obscure reason, in made her smile.

-o-O-o-

"Okay, I knew it was going to be hot, but _that _hot… That's too much."

Hermione sighed. "Stop whining Sirius. If you don't want to be this mission's senior member any more, then just pass the map to Remus and get on with it."

Sirius huffed and continued walking, map held high. All six of them, that is, Remus, Mary, James, Lily, Sirius and Hermione, had their wands lit up in front of them to illuminate the ever-lasting pyramid corridors.

"Wait!" Sirius called out, holding his wand arm out to tell the others to come to a halt. "The map says we have to turn left!" And so they did.

Lily, who was just behind Hermione and who closed the procession, said, slightly ecstatic: "This is easy! When Dumbledore told us about the letter, I thought this was going to be hard."

James smiled at his wife from just in front of Hermione. "Important doesn't rhyme with hard, sweetie." he said lovingly.

"I agree with Lily." Mary said. "It's really easy." That left Hermione thinking.

"Why didn't Peter come again?" Remus asked from behind Mary.

Sirius, who was intently concentrated on his map, responded vaguely: "I think his great aunt is sick, though I'm not exactly sure with what… I just know he went to visit her."

Remus nodded and they continued walking, Hermione still deep in thought. They had been walking for at least an hour when Hermione mumbled: "It's too easy." Then, louder, she added: "Sirius, do you have that letter Hestia sent Dumbledore?"

He looked up, stopping them temporarily. "Uh, yeah, I think I do." He fumbled through his pockets for a few seconds before pulling the piece of parchment he had waved at her that morning. "Here." said, handing it backwards. He passed it to Mary, who passed it to Remus, who passed it to James, who passed it to Hermione.

They started walking again, and Hermione read the letter by the light of her wand.

'_Albus,_

_Most of the coast seems clear, if we rely on our_

_best Aurors. The pyramid doesn't seem to be_

_under siege, so you can apparently come_

_safely. We wish you good luck in your quest._

_Hestia Jones._'

She read the letter over and over again, without finding what was wrong with it and what made her stomach queasy. Then it dawned on her, and she paled. "Oh, God!" she exclaimed, one hand going to her lips in shock. "Stop!" she yelled, planting her feet in the ground. Lily bumped into her from behind and huffed indignantly.

Everyone did what she said and turned towards her. "Hermione, what's wrong?" Mary asked looking slightly worried at her friend's ghostly colour.

She ignored the question and asked: "Sirius, where is the closest exit?"

He took a glance at the map and declared: "A couple of corridors ahead, why?"

She again ignored the question. "Who gave you the map?" she asked again.

He looked puzzled but still answered. "It was in the same envelope as Hestia's letter." he said, starting to look worried. "Hermione, what's going on?"

"_This!_" she shrieked, handing him the letter back. "This s what's wrong! This is a trap! An ambush! There are probably plenty of Death Eaters in that chamber, waiting to just pick us like flowers when we thought this was going to be easy! We're dead!"

Sirius looked even more puzzled. "I don't see what's wrong with the letter." he said. "I had it authenticated, it's really Hestia who wrote it-"

"And she tried to warn us!" Hermione shrieked, getting more and more fidgety. "She wrote that letter under pressure, she was forced by her kidnappers, but she left us a hidden message! Unfortunately, not only did the Death Eaters not see it, but we didn't, either!"

"Hermione stop!" Sirius yelled. "You're over reacting, there is no hidden message, no spell was put on the paper-"

She cut him again. "You don't need a spell to hide a message, Sirius! Look at the first letter of each line! They form a single word-"

"Ambush." Sirius finished for her, paling significantly as well. "Oh, shit! Come on people, let's get to that exit as fast as we can."

He started to leave, but Hermione stopped him. "It's useless, Sirius." He turned toward her and she developed. "They gave you the map. All the exits marked there are probably fake, dead ends and all that kind of stuff."

He gulped. "What do we do, then?" he asked her.

She sighed. "We go back to the only exit we're sure of. The one we entered through. And we hope to God that we can leave before they notice that we've caught on and are not going to the chamber."

He nodded, but then, a cruel laugh echoed around the narrow corridors of the pyramid. The whole group's blood froze. "It's too late, now." a voice said, apparently coming from the direction of the exit.

"Who are you?" Sirius yelled. "Show yourself!"

The voice laughed again. Then, footsteps were heard and out, emerged from the darkness, a Death Eater, fully robed and masked, his left forearm the only piece of skin visible to wand light. He rose his hands up in the air, showing then that he was unarmed. "Kill me, if you want," he said, sounding amused. "But I'm the only person who knows the exits here."

"Oh, yeah?" Sirius called back. "We know exits too."

The Death Eater laughed. "Right. I was placed at the entrance to follow you under Dillusionment charm in case you figured out this was a trap. You did, and rather late too. Now, if you would please follow me so we can get out of here, it's boiling."

And with that, he turned around and stepped to another corridor. The six Order members nodded at each other and followed, in the opposite order than when they first came. After following the Death Eater for only a few minutes, they arrived at a dead end.

He waved his hand at them. "Wands, please." When he saw their refusing expressions, he chuckled. "You can always kill me now, but you'll never find the exit. Might as well hand over your wands and surrender. At least you'll get out."

Lily was the first one to give her wand up. James soon did the same. One by one, they all gave away their weapons, until only Hermione was armed. She looked at the Death Eater's mask where his eyes should be. "You'll get us out?" she asked.

He nodded. "I promise." He sounded truthful, but she wasn't having any of it.

She shook her head. "I need more than a promise. A Slytherin made a promise to me once. Now I know what they're worth." She gulped a little at the memory, but little held her chin high.

He didn't answer right away, but when he did, he sounded angry. "I'm afraid you have no choice now, little miss! Hand over your wand."

Reluctantly, she did as she was told. The Death Eater kept his promise, though and, tapping a stone on his right, the wall slid open, revealing bright sunshine. They all stepped out into the desert, the hot sand warming their shoes and the violent sun making them temporarily blind.

When she recovered her eyesight, however, Hermione gulped. They were surrounded by a dozen or so Death Eaters, masked and cloaked people who looked so still they could have been statues.

Hermione felt herself being shoved, landing in the arms of a man, judging by his hard chest, which bent her arms behind her back and held her steady. She saw the same treatment being administrated to her friends as the Death Eater who held all of their wands came towards her.

"You." he said, pointing at her. "You figured it out. You're smarter than the others. You should be smart enough to give us all the information we need without making a fuss. Now, where are the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix located?"

Saying that she was disgusted by his behaviour was an understatement. She was utterly appalled. Finding no words to describe her anger, she spat in his face.

He didn't even flinch. After a while, he said: "You won't tell us? Fine." He pointed his wand at her. "_Crucio!_"

Knives dug at her sides, peeling away all of her skin as she was thrown in a pool of fire and her ribs were snapped away, one by one. She was vaguely aware of falling to the ground, but the pain she was feeling quickly brushed away the though. At the very back of her head, she was aware that someone was screaming, as if in agony, and she thought: '_Your pain can't be as intense as mine._'

Then, after what seemed like decades, it stopped. The screams did too, so she deduced that it had in fact been her yelling her head off. She felt something warm and sticky in her mouth and realised she must have bitten her tongue so hard that it had bled. She was also crying.

The Death Eater who had held her picked her up roughly and held her, as her legs were shaking too much to support her body's weight. The one who held the wands looked at her. "Still won't talk?"

She spat some blood out of her mouth and caught her breath, managing to form two words. "_Fuck you_." she hissed at him.

She braced herself for more main, but none came. Instead, he just shrugged and said: "Maybe your friends are smarter than you after all." He turned away and walked towards Mary.

Meanwhile, as the man repeated his question, she felt something being pressed into her hand. Something long, hard and cold… A wand! She turned to the Death Eater in shock, but his mask wasn't showing any emotions. She grabbed the wand and turned to Mary.

The girl was looking at her questioningly, probably wondering if she should answer his question or not. Hermione looked pointedly at the questioning one numerous times, and hoped to God Mary knew what she meant.

Suddenly, she whipped the Death Eater's wand out and yelled: "_Stupefy!_"

The curse hit the questioner in the shoulder and he dropped by beside Mary, unconscious. Taking advantage of the situation, Mary jumped and retrieved all of their wands, before running to James, who was nearest.

Remus, James and Sirius overpowered the Death Eaters holding them and each grabbed a wand that Mary threw at them. The five of them started Stunning all the Death Eaters they saw, until one of them called out: "Stop!"

The one who had spoken had his wand pointed at Lily, still being held by her captor. All of them froze, their wands in hand held mid-air.

"Move and she dies!" he said. Lily tried to struggle, but the man who held her tightened his grip on her and she choked.

"No!" James yelled, sprinting towards his wife.

Unfortunately, he was too far away. The man yelled "_Avada Kedavra_!"

James sprinted faster, but someone beat him to it. A distinctively female figure jumped in front of the beam of green light and absorbed it all, before slumping down to the ground, lifeless.

No one moved. Then, Remus was the first one to shout. "_Mary!_" he shrieked, running towards the body of the girl he loved, cold and unmoving.

He tried to shake her, but the only thing that happened was that her head lolled to the side, her eyes wide open, but unseeing in the blissful peace of death. "Remus, _no_!" Sirius yelled at his friend. "Remus, it's too late! You can't do anything! … She's gone!"

From where Hermione stood, she saw Remus' shoulders shaking. At first, she thought he was crying, but when he turned around, it was only pure, animalistic rage she saw in his eyes. He stood up abruptly and ran towards the man who had murdered his loved one. "You bastard!" he yelled, catching up with the Death Eater, who seemed to be frozen in place.

He tried to flee, but being short and squat, he couldn't outrun his pursuer, who seemed bent on catching him. When he did, Remus grabbed him by the collar and tried to punch the living daylights out of him.

James, using Remus as a distraction, had freed Lily and stunned her captor. The only two Death Eaters standing up now was the one Remus was beating to death and the one who had given Hermione his wand. "Remus!" Sirius yelled, running towards his best friend. "Remus, you're going to kill him! Stop! We have to go, before reinforcements arrive!"

"I don't care!" the grief stricken werewolf shouted. "I'm going to murder him! I'm going to murder him in cold blood like he murdered Mary! That snivelling little bastard!"

James and Lily had already Disapparated. Sirius turned to Hermione. "Leave!" he cried out. "Leave before they come! I don't want them to get you too!"

She shook her head. "Go ahead." she told him. "Just grab Remus and go. I'll be there in just a moment."

He tried to argue. "But, Hermione-"

"I'll be fine, Sirius." she cut him. "Just go." When she saw the insecurity in his eyes, she added: "Trust me."

It took some time, but finally, he nodded. Then he turned back to Remus, who by now had practically killed the man who had murdered Mary. He pried him away from the dying man and twirled with his wand, Disapparating.

And Hermione was left alone with the last, standing Death Eater.

She didn't say anything. She just walked to Mary's corpse, only a few feet away from him, and took the three wands from her hand. She then put Lily's and Mary's wands away in her pocket, leaving her with her and the Death Eater's, one n each hand.

She considered them for a while, before tossing the one that did not belong to her back to its owner.

He grabbed it, but made no attempt to stop her. She took hold of Mary's arm, already getting colder in death, and looking upon her saviour one last time. "Thank you." she told him.

He nodded, and she Disapparated.

-o-O-o-

When she came back to Sirius' flat, after bringing Mary's body to headquarters to await the burial, everything seemed empty. She put her wand down on the living room table and looked at the couch. Remus was sitting there, alone.

He seemed to have calmed down, and looked as if he was holding his tears in, as if waiting for her.

She sat down next to him, and wordlessly took him into her arms, making his head rest on her shoulder. And he sobbed. He sobbed for hours. Numerous times she tried to say something, to apologise or say she was sorry for his loss, but deep down, she knew it wouldn't help. So she said the only thing that seemed like the right the thing to say.

"I know how it feels."

And it was true. She knew how it felt when someone you loved died. You felt dead yourself.

And, once again, her thoughts drifted to Regulus and, she too, started crying all the tears her body held.

-o-O-o-

**Please review… I know it was dramatic, but still, please.**


	26. Cowards Die Many Times

**Disclaimer:**** Sadly, I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters. Everything belongs to JK Rowling, and I'm merely allowed to play around with them. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Most, if not all, the reviewers for last chapter told me they had found the last chapter very sad. I found it sad too, and I had to write it, may I remind you! :'( Anyway, that was just to say that this was not the last sad chapter in this story. In fact, this one is pretty bad too. But, hey, this isn't a Disney movie! This can't be lovey-dovey all the way, that'd be boring. Besides, if Mary hadn't died, we should've seen her in the books... Anyway, thanks for reviewing, and I hope you don't hate me after this chapter, but it ties certain lose ends, so… Yeah, enjoy. :) And I answered guest reviews in the AN at the bottom.  
**

_Chapter 26_

-o-O-o-

Mary's funeral was beautiful.

Sure, it had been raining, but it was dignified. Her coffin was made of ebony wood, of a lustrous raven black colour. Four men Hermione did not know had carried it to her tomb, in Godric's Hollow's cemetery.

No one had cried. Not Lily, not James, not Sirius, not Remus… Not even Hermione.

She wasn't sad, so to speak. She was devastated by her friend's death, sure, but everyone was. It was just that, when the men set the coffin down, she somehow felt like she was watching her own funeral, but from another person's point of view.

She felt hollow, not uncaring but unfeeling. Professor Dumbledore made a small speech about the circumstances of her death, and then it was Remus' turn to speak.

He went to stand on a small podium behind the coffin and started speaking:

"I haven't written a speech; as I was too busy crying myself dry over Mary's… anticipated departure." He cleared his throat. "In any case, I think she'd have preferred it if it came straight from my heart, and not passing by some random piece of paper.

"What I wanted to say is… Mary, you are loved. I use the present tense, because although your body seems cold and unmoving, you are remembered, just as any people who have left us since the beginning of this war. It's an ugly thing, war. It hurts people, the alive more than the dead.

"But we mustn't give up. We must fight. You would have wanted that, Mary… That day that you left, that tragic, tragic day… Mary, it was the day I was going to ask you to marry me." He pulled out a small burgundy box and held it out for the people to see. "I just wanted to wait, wait for all the stress of the mission to be over so I could ask you and have no doubts.

"Mary, I'm sorry. I should have asked you earlier, I know you wanted this… You never said anything, but I could see it in your eyes, when you looked at James and Lily… I knew you were waiting, so I planned everything… But too late.

"The two years I spent with you were the best of my life. I couldn't have asked for any more, especially with my condition. You understood… We went through so much together, I thought nothing could separate us… But it's like in the vows I looked up: '_Until death do you apart._'

"Death did us apart, Mary. But only physically. As far as I'm concerned, you're still alive, as long as someone remembers you as the sweet, loving and brave girl you were. I love you, Mary."

And with that, he left the pulpit; shoving his hands down his pockets and his hair, wet with the rain, hid his face as the tears must have poured down his cheeks.

It was Hermione's turn to make a speech. She climbed on the pulpit and declared: "I haven't written anything down either, for I deemed it more appropriate to let my feelings express themselves, and not restrained in some parchment. However, I will read something out, a couple of passages taken from a Muggle play, '_Julius Caesar_', by William Shakespeare.

"It talks of a great ruler, brutally murdered by a man he thought he trusted. After all, the murderer could be among us right now… Anyway, this is taken from Act 2, Scene 2, where Caesar's wife warns him once again of his supposedly close friends. '_When beggars die there are no comets seen, the heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes._'

"Mary was no Roman princess. But she wasn't a beggar, either. She was a generous, lively woman. She was the first person with whom I had a proper conversation here. I remember it very well, although it was nearly two years and a half ago.

"We discussed how much bullshit Divination was, and had a good laugh." She smiled. "I would never have thought that her life would have brutally been taken away from her, even less that I would've been here to watch.

"Mary died saving someone, sacrificing her life to save another, one of a person she loved. Which brings us to my second quote: '_Cowards die many times before their deaths, the valiant never taste of death but once._'

"Mary was brave. She was a true Gryffindor. She was born one, and has died as one. She has never tasted death but once, and we must admire her for what she's managed. She never woke up one day saying: 'Hey, what if I die tomorrow?' She was always optimistic, believing in the good people possessed, no matter how much wrong they'd done to her.

"I also remember she couldn't stand the sight of someone hurting. Every time something like that happened, she would freak out. She must have though that it made her useless, a coward, but it never did.

"If she could think, I hope she'd be proud of what she's done. She's overcome her fears and decided to die instead of someone. That's the bravest things she could've done.

"So, yeah, I hope she's proud of her, because, I don't know about you," Her voice cracked slightly and she sniffed, but she continued anyway. "I don't know about you, but I'm God damn proud of you, Mary."

She took out a tissue and blew her nose, before taken over where she'd stopped. "And my last quote, before I finish, is addressed to you all, to remind you that whatever happens, we're still together. Mary's still with us, she'd never have left us alive, let alone dead. So: '_Of all the wonders I have yet heard it seems to me most strange that men should fear, seeing that death, a necessary end, will come when it will come._'"

And so she finished, and the men picked the coffin back up and set in down in the yawning mouth of the earth, its eternal home.

In the distance, thunder rolled, like the heavy drums that closed funerals, and the rain poured harder.

-o-O-o-

"_Crucio!_"

Regulus writhed on the ground as pain leapt up at him. I didn't last very long, however, and the Dark Lord released him.

"That is the second time you have failed me, Regulus!" he hissed angrily, as the raven haired man struggled to stand up.

When he finally managed, he panted: "I'm sorry, My Lord."

"Sorry?" the Dark Lord spat. "You were given the charge of handling the Mudblood Granger! You let her escape, and now the Order knows that Hestia Jones it at our mercy! We can't use that plan anymore! The whole operation failed, because of you!"

Regulus bowed his head, not daring to tell him that he hadn't only let her escape, but he had also lent her his wand, therefore making everyone else escape.

"Your punishment-" the Dark Lord started, but he was interrupted by a knock on the door. "Enter!" he shouted out, seriously irritated.

"My Lord." Severus said as he entered and bowed low. The Dark Lord motioned for him to stand up, and he did, his face impassive. "I have brought the person you wanted. He was reluctant at first, but with the use of force, he complied."

Voldemort nodded, waving his hand at the greasy haired Death Eater. "You can leave now, Severus. Tell him to come in."

Severus bowed low again and left the room. Regulus took a glance at the Dark Lord. He was smiling. That was definitely not a good sign. Gulping, Regulus waited a few more seconds before entered…

Regulus' breath caught in his throat. "Father?" he asked.

Orion Black didn't look his best. His expensive robes were torn and tattered, as well as smeared with blood. His nose looked somehow crooked, as if it had been broken, and he had a black eye. His face was bloodless, however, so Severus must have cleaned him before sending his in.

The Dark Lord laughed at Regulus' expression. Regulus stared at him, horrified at what might happen next. He watched him pull out a golden locket from his robe pocket, and walk to place it in front of Orion, on a little stool.

"Your father," Voldemort started. "Has agreed, albeit reluctantly, to participate in my conquest of the wizarding world. He has agreed to make me immortal." He laughed. "You are familiar with the concept of Horcruxes, I presume?"

Regulus nodded. He had read all about them in the books that his family possessed. Then everything dawned on him. "You're not," he choked in fear. "You're not going to kill my father, are you?"

The older man laughed. "You are rather slow, aren't you?" he sneered. "Not only do I get to kill your father to make another Horcruxe, but you are going to have to watch."

"No!" Regulus called out, outraged but terrified at the same time. "You can't do that!"

Voldemort, with an evil gleam in his eyes, flicked his wand, and suddenly, Regulus was pushed against a wall, unable to move or talk, his eyes fixed upon the sight of his father, at the hands of the darkest and most evil person the world held.

And from that moment on, Regulus hated the Dark Lord.

He raised his wand, pointing it at Orion Black's head. The father stared at the son, their light silver eyes mirroring each other's expressions, until Voldemort cried out "_Avada Kedavra!_"

The two pairs of eyes still stared, though one alive and angry, the other lifeless and unseeing. Slowly, like an angel descending upon the Earth, Orion Black fell, hitting the floor with a dull thud as his son watched.

His stomach churned, but he found himself unable to empty his stomach. So he watched as the locket gleamed with a sick, greenish glow and a piece of black soul detached himself from his father's murderer and flew, only to latch itself to the golden piece of jewellery.

There was a bang, and everything went black.

-o-O-o-

"But, Master Regulus, Kreacher doesn't want to go."

Regulus sighed. "But the Dark Lord wants you to go, so you will." he told the House Elf gently.

Kreacher pouted, making him even uglier, but nodded in agreement.

Regulus smiled. "Thank you, Kreacher." he said. The man and the elf both left the room, where the Dark Lord was waiting.

It had been a week since Orion Black's death, but he had already been buried. Since he was more loved than Alphard had been, they didn't make him wait as long. Besides, they didn't need to know if it had been murder or not. They knew it was.

But still, nobody had said anything.

After the Dark Lord had left with Kreacher, Regulus sat down next to his mother, on the living room couch. "Don't you hate the Dark Lord?" he asked her softly after a while.

She shook her head, although rather stiffly. "He wants to rid the world of its scum. If your father's life was the price to pay, then so be it."

He sighed at her stubbornness. "Didn't you ever imagine, just once, that the world is okay with…Muggles and Muggleborns cohabiting with us?"

She turned to him quicker than he would have thought. "_Regulus!_" she shrieked. "What are you saying?! We wizards possess things that Muggles do not! We have magic! We are superior! We should be the dominants in this society, not them!"

"But Muggles have things we don't!" he argued. "They invented electricity, cars, washing machines… We may have magic, but our world is modelled on theirs. They have learnt to adapt without this advantage that we possess."

"Regulus," she said, her noise pinched. "You are denying everything I have put my heart and soul teaching you!"

"But, Mother," he tried again. "We could be dominant, if we mixed with them. Out society is like…An egg. The Muggles would be the white, as you said, disadvantaged but more represented, and we would be the yolk. Right now, they are separated, but if we mix them… All we'd have is yellow, right? So we would win in the end."

She shook her head. "I don't believe it." she said, looking disgusted at her own son. "You are just as bad as your brother. Comparing us, the prestigious, most ancient Black family, to _egg yolk_?"

He sighed. "I'm just saying that maybe isolating ourselves from the rest of the world isn't the best idea." And with that, he simply stood up and left the room, climbing the stairs to his bedroom. Once inside, he called out: "Kreacher!"

With a resounding crack, the elf appeared, and Regulus could do nothing but gasp at the sight of his faithful servant, mangled and bloody, wet and shivering, bruised and dripping onto the thick emerald carpet. Kreacher opened his mouth and croaked: "Mas…ter…" before dropping to the floor, unconscious.

-o-O-o-

**Please review! :D**

**Leo- I'm glad you like my fast updates, because I enjoy them too! :) I'm sorry you were in the train when you read it, it must have been awkward... And I hope you liked the Regulus presence in this chapter. ;)  
**

**breizh- No, she didn't change the course of time. She figured she can't do that, and in the books they can't, so I respected that. Also, I did read quite some fics where Remus is the one who loses his love... But Hermione had to (temporarily) be with Sirius, and it was better for Mary to be emotionally attached to someone. Lastly, I'm very glad you like the way I portray the characters.  
**


	27. The Payphone

**Disclaimer:**** Sadly, I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters. Everything belongs to JK Rowling, and I'm merely allowed to play around with them. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Part of this chapter is the dream Hermione had in chapter 20, near the end, so if you don't want to read it, you don't have to. :) Also, VOTE ON MY POLL, PEOPLE! That's it. After all, if you don't want them to end up married with one son, then you have to click on my username, then on my poll and say otherwise! And if you guys want to suggest names and stuff, just review, I promise I'll consider them. On with the story!  
**

_Chapter 27_

-o-O-o-

"-and he was like 'I love your songs, so amazing and stuff, but how did you pass your N.E.W.T.'s in the US?' So I told him: 'Sirius, Jon Bon Jovi is a Muggle!'"

Everyone at the table burst out laughing. Sirius was staring grumpily at his girlfriend, but he was laughing too. "And what's more," Remus started. "Was that the next day, at breakfast, he was like: 'Hey, Moony, did you know Jon Bon Jovi was a Muggle?' trying to be a smartass. Anyway, I replied: 'Sirius, everyone knows Jon Bon Jovi is a Muggle!'"

A new wave of laughter erupted around the table, on this 24th of December 1979. The four Marauders, Lily and Hermione were sitting at a table, at Godric's Hollow, in James and Lily's house, having a nice Christmas Eve dinner together. At ten, all of them would go back to their respective houses to pass the last moments with their family.

But meanwhile, it time to have fun.

At quarter to ten, James stood up and started tinkling his fork on his champagne glass to attract everyone's attention. "People!" he called out, and had everyone's full attention. "If you remember correctly, you might notice that today is not only Christmas Eve, but it's also my-" Lily cleared her throat and James smiled sweetly at her, before correcting himself. "Our wedding anniversary."

"Whoo!" Sirius whooped, shaking his fist into the air.

James shot him a look and continued. "It seems that Christmas Eve is the day where I like to make announcement, because… I'm going to be a daddy!"

As he sat back down, Remus, Peter and Hermione started congratulating the couple, but all Sirius said was: "I want to be Godfather!"

Remus turned to him with a pout in his face. "I wanted to be Godfather!" he whined.

"I said it first!" Sirius said, a huge grin illuminating his face.

Lily shook her head. "Boys…" she muttered, before turning to Hermione. "You'll be Godmother, right?" she asked.

Hermione smiled brightly. "Of course!" she said.

Meanwhile, Remus was still pouting, and Sirius was trying to talk some sense into him. "Stop whining, Moony, you're ruining the mood." He sighed. "You know what? You can just be Godfather of my kids, once Hermione and I have a couple!"

Hermione spat her champagne out in shock, wetting Peter's shirt. Without even as much as an apology, she turned to Sirius. "Excuse me… What?" she asked him.

He just shrugged. "You and I both want kids later, right?"

She was still staring at him, while everyone else looked very uncomfortable. "Yes, but I also said-"

"-that we have to be married." he finished for her, before turning to face her with a smile on his face. "I've worked on that part." And with that, he stood up and told James: "Sorry mate, you'll have to leave us the spotlight tonight." He turned back to Hermione, pulled out a white, square velvet box and knelt down on one knee.

She was in a state of shock. "Sirius…" she whispered, her voice stuck in her throat.

He opened the box to reveal a ring, simple, with only a thin golden band and the biggest diamond she'd ever seen in her life. "Hermione Jean Granger," he said softly. "The first time I saw you, I elbowed James and said something along the lines of: 'You see that girl? That's the girl I'm marrying later.' He though I was totally bonkers-"

"Correction!" James spoke up. "I knew you were bonkers, I just didn't think you'd be that bonkers."

"Shut up, you dumb ass!" Sirius yelled at him. "I'm proposing, here." he turned back to Hermione, who had tears in her eyes. "But I knew I wasn't. We've had our ups, we've had our downs, but, like I told you once, I've always come back to you. I've spent the best moments of my life with you, Hermione, and I want us to keep doing this for the rest of our lives. Hermione… Will you marry me?"

And as Hermione stared into these characteristically grey eyes of his, she only thought of Regulus. A little voice in the back of her head nagged and yelled at her. 'Forget him! Get on with your life!' And so she answered, in a voice trembling with emotion: "Yes."

Sirius let out a sigh of relief, and stood back up. Hermione stood up too, and as everyone in the room started clapping, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her. As they broke apart and he slipped the ring on her left hand, she wondered if she had made the right choice.

She didn't have that much time to ponder over the problem, however, because she was soon submerged in hugs, kisses and congratulatory claps on her back. Only James was pouting, muttering something about "… my time to make announcements…"

-o-O-o-

It had been nearly two months.

Two months since Kreacher had come back, in that appalling state after a meeting with the Dark Lord. After a week of uninterrupted slumber, the elf had woken up and counted the story to his master.

And that gave Regulus an idea.

He was probably crazy for thinking that, but he wanted to end the Dark Lord. He no longer supported him like he did when he first joined. No, being a Death Eater had been okay at first, but it had caused him to lose so much…

It was awful. To witness your own father being murdered to create a Horcruxe was one of the worst things he had ever experienced, but it had made him realise what Voldemort actually was: a power hungry, discriminative, crazed megalomaniac.

Who needed to be destroyed.

The only problem was that, if he was ever going to try and take part in his master's downfall, he would surely be tortured. If he went to the Order of the Phoenix for help, they would kill him on the spot. There was only one option left then: Regulus had to die, but do it himself.

He wasn't going to regret it. After all, he had nothing to live for now. He didn't believe in his ideals anymore. He wasn't selfish enough to live just for himself either.

And Hermione hated him.

That was the biggest reason. One which gave him a want to die, not only as a last resort.

And so he had chosen that day, Christmas Eve, to do what he wanted to do. He wanted to die knowing she was happy. And so he roamed the streets of London, trying to clear his head. Then, in the distance, something gave him an idea.

A payphone.

He checked him pocket and found he still had a little bit of Muggle money on him, a few pounds, but it should do the trick. He climbed inside the booth and closed the door behind him. Sometime, about two years ago, Hermione had taught him to use a Muggle public telephone.

He put his coins in the slot, but then didn't know which number to dial, until he remembered something called… he had forgotten what it was called, but he knew it was in every payphone and had the names of all the people living in London, as well as their numbers.

He looked for it, and came upon a very thick volume with yellow pages. He took it out and looked for 'Granger'. When he saw that she was not on it, he remembered that she lived with his brother. He went back to the 'B' section, and luckily for him, found 'BLACK, Sirius' rather fast.

He dialled the number written on the page and pressed the phone to his ear. He heard several dull beeps; before Hermione's melodious voice came to his ear.

'_Hello, you are at the residence of Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Hermione Granger, but we are currently unavailable, so leave a message after the beep!_'

He smiled slightly as the beep sounded. "Hermione…" he started, but found he did not know what to say. "I just called to say… I'm sorry. I should've listened to you all along and never taken the Mark. I should've thought about you… _us_ more, and about what I was doing to you. I knew it was going to break you when you found out, yet I completely ignored it. I shouldn't have. Also, I listened to that song, with that Muggle singer… Erm… Oh, yeah, Stevie Wonder, 'I just called to say I love you'. The music was crappy but I loved the lyrics… Because it reminds me of us… Only I didn't call _just_ to say 'I love you', but… Fuck, I love you Hermione. I'm not asking you to come back; I just wanted you to know, because you won't have a chance to after tonight. So yeah… I love you, always will, I'm sorry… And…" he sighed. "Shit, just… Be happy. Please."

And with these last words, he hung up.

When he stepped out of the telephone booth, he felt slightly lighter. Definitely not happier but… He knew that he had tied some of the strings there, and that made him feel more… Complete. He started walking towards his home again. It was now night time.

He passed a supermarket, which had a fake Santa Claus distributing candy to children and boasting about the special promotions they made for Christmas.

He took one look at them and gave a slight smile. The fake Santa caught him watching and smiled, shouting at him; "Merry Christmas, my boy! Ho, ho, ho!"

Regulus waved and continued his path. "That's right, merry Christmas... It's my last, after all."

And on he walked, cars on his right never stopping to look at him twice, because the whole world was blissfully ignorant of his very existence. And, for some strange reason, he wouldn't have it any other way. He turned left suddenly, walking for a couple of meters until he arrived in a more open, but abandoned, space. He passed a rusty sign that read 'Grimmauld Place'.

As he approached Number 10, the earth started shaking and pushing two buildings apart from each other. The man, however, seemed unsurprised by this occurrence. Between the two shaking buildings appeared a third, one with a plaque on it that said: '_Number 12_'.

The man entered Number 12, Grimmauld Place, without so much as a glance around to see if anyone was following him. As soon as the door closed behind him, a shrill voice called out: "Regulus! Is that you?"

Regulus cringed and replied: "Yes, mother! I'm home!"

His mother entered the room, a pair of glasses perched on her thin nose and a book in hand, indicating her previous activity. "Where have you been?" she asked stiffly.

He sighed. "I went to see Severus, I told you." he lied smoothly. After all, he guessed she wouldn't be too happy to hear he had called a Muggleborn.

She glared at him. "Don't speak to me in that tone. You could have Apparated and been home for supper. I had to eat alone! On Christmas night! What sort of family are we?"

"A broken one, ever since father has left us." he answered, and she didn't dare scold him. Instead, she huffed and returned to the room where she had come from, probably to return to her reading. Regulus took of his snow covered cloak and hanged it besides the door. He knew his mother wasn't mad at him. In fact, he was just stating facts, so she had nothing to scold him for.

Scratching his subtle, he started climbing up the stairs to him room. He smiled when his eyes came upon the familiar sight of his name plate on the door.

'_Do not enter without the express permission of  
Regulus Arcturus Black_'

Shaking his head slightly, he pushed the door open. Unsurprisingly, his room was one of the cleanest of the house. Among his poster and pictures, there was a single Quidditch scarf. A red and gold one. Banishing a memory from surfacing, he looked to the floor, where what looked like a dirty cloth bundle lay.

"Kreacher?" he asked softly, kneeling down next to the bundle. It stirred and from its contents poked and ugly head, shrivelled and sporting two huge, bat like ears. It turned around and stared at Regulus with its disproportionate eyes, as if silently asking him what the matter was.

"How are you feeling?" he finally asked.

"Much better, now that Master Regulus has looked after Kreacher." the elf replied, nodding softly. His voice wasn't croaky and he sounded well rested.

Regulus nodded. "Thank you Kreacher. Now, I'd like you to do something for me."

"Anything for Master Regulus." Kreacher replied, detangling himself from his bundle of cloths.

"Thank you. First, I'd like you to promise me you won't tell any of this to my mother." Regulus asked.

Kreacher gasped. "Not tell my Mistress? But she would kill Kreacher if she ever found out about that!" He shook his head. "No. Kreacher won't do it."

"But she won't find out," Regulus tried to reason. "If you don't tell her. I swear I won't tell her, Kreacher."

The elf gulped down. "Kreacher..." he croaked, as if these words were eliciting a huge amount of pain from him. "Kreacher won't tell." he gave in at last.

Regulus nodded. "Good. Now I want you to take me to the place where the Dark Lord made you drink the potion."

At first, the elf looked terrified, but upon meeting his master's soothing gaze, he nodded again. "Let us go, then." He took the man's hand and asked: "At the entrance or directly on the island, Master Regulus?"

He gulped. "Directly on the island, please." He was squished in the now familiar rubber tube for a couple of seconds until his feet hit the ground. He looked around and saw... Nothing. The cave he was in was absolutely pitch black.

"We have arrived, Master Regulus." the elf said, letting go of his hand. Regulus heard Kreacher snap his fingers and, instantly, a ball of white light appeared, illuminating the cave.

He was indeed standing in the middle of an island, the huge rock surrounded by murky water. The stone walls around the lake seemed damp, at first sight, but what really caught his eye was the bowl of potion sitting in the middle of the island. He approached it slowly, somehow dreading what he will find there. The liquid in it was green and opaque; making it impossible to be sure what was sitting at the bottom. The glow it emitted was somehow sickly, and made him want to retch.

Turning back to his House elf, he said quietly: "Kreacher, what happens here must never reach the Dark Lord's ears; if he were to find out, he would kill you and my mother, do you understand?" The elf nodded. Regulus inhaled and exhaled deeply, before continuing: "I am going to drink the potion. You are to keep me drinking, no matter what I tell you. Once the bowl will be empty, you will take the locket at the bottom and switch it," he pulled a golden replica from his pocket and placed it in Kreacher's hands. "With this one. Then you will leave, and never come back."

"But what about my master?" the elf croaked, probably dreading the answer.

"You are to leave me behind. After this, my life is of little value." he admitted bluntly. "You are not to tell my mother what happened. Ever. I want her to die ignorant. You are to hide the locket from her too, and you must destroy it." The elf nodded reluctantly again. "Now," Regulus said gravely. "A glass."

With another snap of his fingers, Kreacher handed his master a carved crystal glass, which he dipped in the foul potion. He held it at his lips, before pushing it away, at sad twinkle in his eye.

"One last thing." he said, staring directly at the wall in front of him. "If you see Hermione... Wish her a merry Christmas from me."

And, brushing a single tear he should never have shed, he tipped the glass back and swallowed a mouthful.

-o-O-o-

**Cliffhanger! Please review! :) Remember, even if it's just a name, you can fill that little box up. Just tell me if it's for a boy or a girl. :) I'll consider every entry!  
**


	28. Monster

**Disclaimer:**** Sadly, I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters. Everything belongs to JK Rowling, and I'm merely allowed to play around with them. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**I'm supposed to be doing English homework, but I just can't be bothered. I didn't got any name suggestions last chapter (unless you want them to have a kid named Update Black), but that might come later, if you want... However, I do have a pretty solid idea on how this is going to end up... And it's not yet. I might actually pass the 100 000 words bar! That'd be really cool... Anyway, on with the story.  
**

_Chapter 28_

-o-O-o-

The clock struck ten.

"Oh!" Lily said. "It's time for you to go!"

Sirius whined. "But don't want to go!" he said.

James shook his head. "Fine, you can stay. But it's only because I need someone to help me clean up the mess."

Sirius seemed content with that. Hermione sighed. "I'm going home. I'm tired."

She kissed and hugged everyone goodbye, before grabbing her coat and heading outside to Disapparate. As she left, she could swear she heard James say: "It's just the shock… Lily was the same… She slept for fifteen hours straight… And snored!"

And Lily answer: "I heard that!"

But then she twirled on the spot, and the next thing she knew, she was home. She sighed in relief at the sight of the familiar flat, before swishing her wand to make all the lights turn on. Without taking her cloak off or putting her handbag down, she went to the living room.

There, a flashing red light caught her eye.

She went closer to it and noticed that it was the message button from the phone. At first, she wanted to ignore it and make it wait for the next day, but her curiosity got the better of her and she pushed the button down.

First, her message came up, and she smiled at the memory of when she had recorded it. She was the only one in the house to know how a phone worked, so she had been assigned to do everything that had even the slightest thing to do with one. '_Hello, you are at the residence of Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Hermione Granger, but we are currently unavailable, so leave a message after the beep!_'

Then the beep sounded and the message came. '_Hermione…_'

She gasped as Regulus' voice came from the receiver. Why was he calling her? He had ignored her for a year and a half and now just decided to call her? She stopped her thoughts for a moment and just listened to the rest of the message.

'_I just called to say… I'm sorry._'

"It's a bit late now!" she sneered, feeling slightly bitter, but yearning as well.

'_I should've listened to you all along and never taken the Mark. I should've thought about you… us more, and about what I was doing to you. I knew it was going to break you when you found out, yet I completely ignored it. I shouldn't have.'_

As much as she wanted to yell at him right now, there was something she wanted to do more than that. She just wanted to take him into her arms and hold him so that they could be together until the end of time.

The message continued: '_Also, I listened to that song, with that Muggle singer… Erm… Oh, yeah, Stevie Wonder, 'I just called to say I love you'. The music was crappy but I loved the lyrics…_'

She laughed a little, because it was the same opinion she had on that song. '_Because it reminds me of us… Only I didn't call__ just __to say 'I love you', but… Fuck, I love you Hermione._'

Her breath caught in her throat. '_I'm not asking you to come back; I just wanted you to know, because you won't have a chance to after tonight._'

What did he mean by that? '_So yeah… I love you, always will, I'm sorry… And…_' she heard him sigh. '_Shit, just… Be happy. Please._'

She heard a beep and knew the message was over. He loved her? '_No he doesn't!_' a little voice in the back of her head nagged. '_He betrayed you, lied to you and used you… How can he love you?_'

She shook her head. "I don't know." she said out loud.

'_Why do you even care about him, anyway?_' the little voice continued.

"Because _I_ love _him_." she answered, and as she said it, she realised it was true. It was something she'd never considered before, but as she repeated it again and again in her head, a smile spread on her face and she started crying.

But then again, he had said something about not being able to say it after tonight. She wondered what he meant by that, when a memory popped up in her mind. The memory of a dream, a snowy street, a man, an elf, a cave… A potion… A locket….

Her hand flew to her face in shock. "Oh, God!" she cried out. "I have to stop him!"

She ran around like a headless chicken for a couple of seconds before she decided on a plan. She quickly pulled out a piece of parchment and scribbled a note on it, before taking off her ring and, giving it one last kiss, she put it down on the table, on the note.

And then she left for Grimmauld place.

-o-O-o-

The potion burnt his throat, but he swallowed none the less. A few flashes of colour went before his eyes and his head thudded dully, but that was all that happened. "More." he told Kreacher, who filled him another glass. He tipped that one back too, and the same thing happened, albeit stronger, this time.

He had drunk around five glasses, when images, well structured ones, that is, started to appear. His father, being murdered before his very eyes. He shuddered, but drank the glass Kreacher presented him with.

He no longer had the strength to ask for the potion, nor to open his eyes. Another images: a man's head falling to the ground as his wife screams. The screams were so distinct, he moaned; "No…"

Another glass, another image. Him, insulting Hermione at the beginning of their sixth year. Her eyes were full of tears, but he was uncaring. "No!" he said, louder this time. "Don't do this!" But he did. He watched his past self turn away and leave her behind, broken.

He felt more potion being shoved down his throat, glass after glass, until he could sustain it no more. "KILL ME!" he yelled. "Hermione, kill me! I hate myself, please kill me!"

Far away, he heard a soothing voice tell him that this was the last one. He drank it all, and something else came up in his mind. The thing he hated most in the whole wide world.

Her fearful eyes as she discovered his mark. Her realisation that he was nothing more than an abomination… A monster.

"I'M A MONSTER!" he cried out, writhing on the floor. He wanted nothing more than to die, right then. Then, he felt something cool grab hold of his ankle, not as softly as he would have liked it, and pulled him towards somewhere else.

He felt himself be submerged in water, but he couldn't care less. He didn't know who he was where he was, just that he was a monster to be killed.

That was why, when he found himself unable to breathe, he welcomed the peace of certain death with open arms.

-o-O-o-

As she knocked on the door of number 12, Grimmauld place, Hermione wondered what she would say. The woman from her dream answered, and Hermione recognised her as Sirius and Regulus' mother. "Good evening." she said politely.

"What do you want?" the elder woman snapped, and Hermione backed off a couple of steps.

"I, erm…" she stuttered, unable to find a good story. "I'm here on the behalf of the Dark Lord, and I'd like to talk to Regulus."

The woman's eyes widened. "The Dark Lord?" she whispered, to which Hermione nodded. Mrs. Black looked around the street, to see if anyone had heard, before gesturing Hermione to come in.

Hermione looked around. "It a… very nice house, you have here, Mrs. Black."

"Thank you." the woman replied, her nose scrunched up as if she smelt something bad. She started climbing the stairs and Hermione could do nothing but follow. They arrived in front of a door with Regulus' name plate, and she smiled. Mrs. Black knocked on her son's door. "Regulus?" she called out. "You have a guest." When no answer came, she tried again. "Regulus?"

"Maybe he's not there." Hermione said.

"He can't have Disapparated," Mrs. Black said. "The whole house is warded. Unless…" Something must've dawned on her, because she suddenly looked angry. "Kreacher!" she called out, my shriller than before.

As the elf appeared, it was obvious that he had been doing something out of the ordinary. His tower was dirty and smeared with a kind of greenish sludge and he was, in overall, wet. "Mistress Black?" he croaked, his voice hoarse, as if he'd been crying.

"Kreacher, where is my son?" she asked.

"Master Regulus is…" Kreacher looked like he was trying very hard to say something, but in the end he just was physically unable to do so. "Kreacher cannot say." he gave up.

She huffed. "Why not?" she asked.

"Master Regulus made Kreacher promise that he cannot tell my Mistress where Master Regulus is." he told her, his head bowing in shame.

Hermione bent down in front of Kreacher. "Kreacher, is Master Regulus in danger?" she asked softly.

He looked up to her trusting eyes and whispered. "Yes."

"_What?!_" Mrs. Black shrieked. "No, not Regulus!" she started to sob

Hermione shed a single tear. "Kreacher," she whispered. "I want to help Master Regulus. Can you take me where he is?" Kreacher hesitated, but in the end, his adoration for Regulus won over, and he nodded. Hermione looked back up to Mrs. Black and declared: "If I don't come back, then we're both dead."

The elder woman sobbed harder. Hermione took hold of Kreacher's hand, and the elf twirled, making both of them disappear. When Hermione's feet hit the ground again, she was on an island, illuminated by a ball of light. As she looked around, Hermione noticed a few bubbles come from the deep, murky waters.

"Oh my God!" she shrieked, and turned back to the elf. "Kreacher, go back to your mistress, I'm sure she needs you more than I do."

He hesitated, but finally nodded and Disapparated. Hermione stripped down to her underwear, pulled out her wand and performed a Bubble Head charm on her self, before diving in the lake.

The cold water bit her skin, and for a couple of seconds, she thought she was dead. She recovered quickly, however, when she saw some activity at the bottom of the lake. She swam as fast as she could to reach it, and then came upon a horrifying scene.

Inferi, hundreds of them, were settled near the sand, a few of the clutching a poor figure which could only be Regulus. She pulled her wand out and tried to cast a spell, but she didn't remember which one to use. Then, she remembered her fourth year, when she had researched all the monsters which Harry might have to fight during the Triwizard Tournament. Inferi were afraid of fire!

"_Incendio!_" she cried out and, by some miracle, fire formed and burnt, underneath water, in a long serpent that crawled towards the deadly creatures. Slowly, they detangled themselves from Regulus, and Hermione swam towards him. She grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pointed her wand the surface: "_Ascendio!_"

She felt herself being pulled out of the water, and landing on the island. Regulus landed next to her, and she immediately began working. She first placed her fingers on his neck, where she found a pulse. It was weak, but it was still there.

She undid his shirt buttons and placed her hands on his chest, pumping so as to get the water out of him? It turned out he had quite a lot, but in the end, his eyes opened slightly and he coughed the rest out.

"Regulus?" she asked, brushing a strand of hair out of his face, but he had already closed his eyes again and fainted back into slumber. She figured he would die of hypothermia soon if she didn't hurry up, so she grabbed her handbag and rummaged inside it until she found what she was looking for: her tent.

She had bought it for Sirius and hers first camping trip. It had been the only one, too. The point was, the war had threatened them and so she had always kept the essentials packed for that sort of stuff.

"_Erecto!_" she said, and the tent lifted up, perfectly anchored into the rocky soil of the island. She levitated Regulus inside and into a sleeping bag, stripping him to his boxers along the way so that his wet clothes didn't make him even colder.

All this physical activity had made her warm, so she figured that if she slipped in beside him, he might have a better chance of getting out of hypothermia. And so she did.

The last though that came to her mind before she fell asleep was that it felt nice to be with the man you loved.

-o-O-o-

**Please review! What do you think will happen next? Hmm…  
**


	29. Mother And Son

**Disclaimer:**** Sadly, I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters. Everything belongs to JK Rowling, and I'm merely allowed to play around with them. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**I'd like to take my time to thank you guys, I recieved so much positive feedback yesterday, I was just soo happy! Special thanks to _Smithback_ for givinng me a couple of names to play with (not literally) and to _Battlekitten94_ for creating an account just to be able to review this story. :) I really love all of you guys! Now... On with the story!  
**

_Chapter 29_

-o-O-o-

As soon as Sirius crossed the doorstep, he knew something was off. "'Mione! I'm home!" he called out, but no answer came. He went to their room and opened the door to peek through. The bed was empty.

Starting to panic, called out once more: "Hermione! Love, where are you?" He went through every room without finding her. He almost had a heart attack when he entered the living room. But it was empty as well.

Empty, except for a small piece of parchment and the engagement ring he had given her mere hours before. Quivering with a sense of dread, Sirius picked the parchment and read it.

'_Dear Sirius,_

_I'm sorry it had to end this way. Here is the ring so you can slip it on another lucky girl's finger._

_If you want to know where I am, just press the message button on the phone, the one with a little envelope._

_Once again, I'm sorry, I thought we could be together but I now find myself unable to lie to you, or myself, for that matter, any longer._

_I hope you find yourself someone wore worthy of you._

_Love, Hermione_'

He put the piece of parchment down, tears already starting to well up. Finding he had nothing else to do, he pressed the little envelope button and listened.

-o-O-o-

Regulus was in heaven.

There was no other explanation. He had succeeded, he had died, and now, he was having fun with an angel. Or, at least, had had fun with an angel, because he could feel its warm, naked frame pressed against him as he shivered with slight cold. Drowning did that to you, he guessed.

The only thing that felt wrong was that he had done only wrong in his life, and hadn't deserved to be in heaven.

But, hell, heaven felt so nice, he wasn't going to complain.

With a slight moan, he pulled the angel's frame closer to his and slipped back into deep, dreamless sleep. No, he definitely wasn't going to complain.

-o-O-o-

Sirius was angry. He was no longer sad, but really, very angry.

His brother thought he had the right to own Hermione? She was his, God damn it! He was the one who proposed, never let her down, had offered her a place to stay… All Regulus had done was get himself branded by the Dark Mark and leave her broken for Sirius to pick up the pieces.

And so Sirius stormed to Grimmauld Place, intending on killing his 'brother' at the first chance he got. He arrived rather quickly, and knocked loudly enough to wake the neighbours up. "Open up!" he yelled, still banging furiously at the door.

After a couple of minutes, the door was opened, revealing Walburga Black, he eyes swollen and red, as if she had been crying for a long time. When she recognised him, her eyes bulged, enhancing their puffy effect. "Youuuuu!" she cried, pointing at him accusingly. "You blood traitor! Thief! Worthless piece of scum! I raised you as my son and you-"

"Drop the act! I know it off by heart!" he interrupted her. "Where is she?"

Walburga looked genuinely confused. "Who?" she asked, forgetting for a while that this was her runaway son she was talking to.

"Hermione!" he yelled, pushing past her and entering the house in a wave of fury. Walburga, quickly recovering from his assault, closed the door and followed him inside.

"I know nobody of such a name." she declared.

Sirius was pacing along the floor, as if trying to wear it out. "My fiancée!" he yelled at her. "She left me a note, saying she was leaving me, because she received a message from the bastard I used to call my brother!"

Walburga sneered at him. "Who wouldn't?" she asked tauntingly. "He, unlike you, belongs to a respectable pure-blood family, a very famous house and-"

"Oh, shut up." he interrupted her again. "She's Muggleborn, she doesn't care about this type of things." He saw she was about to retort some sort of racial insult, so he continued. "Just tell me where they ran off to, so I can kill that little son of a bitch and get my fiancée back."

"I don't know." she admitted, her lower lip starting to tremble. "There was that young lady who came here about two hours ago, claiming she came on the Dark Lord's behalf…"

"Did she have long brown hair and big doe-like eyes?" he immediately asked.

She nodded. "And she was about… That big." she also revealed, placing her hand an inch above her own head.

He nodded. "That's her. Can you tell me-"

"_What?!_" Walburga shrieked. "I let a Mudblood into my _house_? This is outrageous! Appalling! Disgraceful! Disgusting!"

"Cut the crap!" Sirius yelled at her. "Where the fuck did she go?"

Walburga burst into tears. "She… She went to see Regulus…"

Sirius rolled his eyes, unmoved at his mother's display of emotions. "I got that far." he growled. "Where the fuck did she _go_?"

"I don't know!" Walburga shrieked. "I don't know, I just know that Regulus, my boy…" She sniffed, trying to control her despair. "Regulus was in danger… She said she'd help… Before she left, she said: '_If I don't come back then…_'"

Walburga gave a dry sob, and Sirius prompted her. "Then…" he said, wanting to hear the rest.

Walburga breathed in deep and continued: "She said: '_If I don't come back, then we're both dead._'!"

Sirius' blood froze. "She… She came back, didn't she?" he asked softly, dreading the answer.

Walburga sniffed and shook her head, before bursting into more uncontrollable sobs. Sirius' world broke down. He felt somehow floating, as if nothing was holing him to the Earth, holding him to _life_, anymore.

His face contorted and he, too, started sobbing. In need for comfort, he pulled Walburga close and held his mother tight.

She hugged him tighter, and mother and son, for one of the first times in their life, knew what the other felt.

-o-O-o-

The first thing that came to Hermione's mind when she woke up was that her feet were cold, so Sirius must have taken the whole quilt to himself again.

Then, the events from the last night came back to her, and she jerked upright. And there he was. Regulus was sleeping peacefully, as if blissfully unaware of their situation. She put her hand to his neck, relieved to find a strong pulse there. He should be out of danger by then.

She slipped out of the sleeping bag and got dressed, before pulling a little bit of food and utensils from her handbag. She heated a tea pot and got herself a mug, filling it to the brim, before she went back to sit next to Regulus.

She stared at him for a long time, wondering what she would tell him when he woke up. Should she throw herself in his arms and confess her unending love for him or would she just ignore him?

However, when she saw him stir, she did neither. At first, she froze. He opened his silver eyes slowly, as if it was painful, and heaved a huge sigh. Then he saw her. "Hermione?" he asked trying to sit up.

She put her mug of tea down on the floor and walked over to him, as if to greet him. But in the end, all she did was pull her hand back and slap him so hard across the face that he fell right back down onto the sleeping bag. "YOU IDIOT!" she bellowed.

"Hermione," he whined, rolling around to face her, but not trying to sit back up. "Stop shouting."

"OH, SO YOU'RE TELLING ME TO STOP SHOUTING, NOW?!" she continued. "WELL I'VE GOT SOME NEWS FOR YOU, REGULUS ARCTURUS BLACK! I AM NOT GOING TO STOP SHOUTING, SO YOU _WILL_ HEAR ME OUT!"

He moaned in pain and tried to roll away from her, but she just rolled him back.

"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU PUT ME THROUGH?! I FUCKING THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD!"

"You should have let me die…" he groaned, exhausted but getting stronger by the second.

"LET YOU DIE?" she yelled. "AFTER THAT MESSAGE YOU LEFT ME? CAN YOU IMAGINE HOW GUILTY I WOULD HAVE FELT? LOOK AT WHAT YOU'VE DONE! YOUR MOTHER WAS IN TEARS WHEN I LEFT HER, IMAGINE HER NOW!"

"It's just my mother…" he said, trying to sit up again. This time, she didn't slap him back down.

"NO, REGULUS, IT WASN'T JUST YOUR MOTHER! THERE WAS ME, TOO! DID YOU EVEN CONSIDER HOW I'D BE FEELING?! I WAS UTTERLY DEVASTATED!"

"Why, though?" he asked. "You hate me."

That calmed her down. "I don't hate you." she whispered. "I _can't_ hate you…. Believe me, I've tried. I've tried hating you, ignoring you, believing this was all your fault… But I've failed miserably."

"Why?" he asked, as her eyes welled up. "I told you I understood, you shouldn't have felt guilty. You could hate me, I'd understand."

She shook her head. "I can't hate you Regulus." she looked up to him and brushed a strand of hair behind his ear, leaving her hand on the subtle covered side of his face. "I love you." she confessed.

At first, he said nothing, probably out of shock, but when he recovered, he smiled brightly. "I love you." he replied.

She smiled too. "I know." she said.

He gave a short laugh. They stared at each other for a couple of moments before he asked: "Why aren't we snogging yet?"

She gave him just a peck on the lips and stood up, but he reached out to pull her back down, resulting in her landing heavily on him with a small "Oomph!"

"I said snog." he said, quirking an eyebrow and Hermione, smiling, bent down and placed her lips on his. Needless to say, they were occupied for some minutes.

However, when Regulus pulled away to sneeze violently, Hermione sighed. "I'm sorry Regulus," she apologised. "But we need to get you out as soon as possible. The atmosphere is too humid here, you could catch something."

Regulus groaned, but other from that, made no objection. Hermione stood up and went to her handbag, before fumbling a little in it. After a few seconds, she pulled out a simple black t-shirt and a slightly faded pair of jeans, which she threw at him.

"These were Sirius', but I guess you're not going to leave in only boxers. Your other clothes were… Somewhat wet." She smirked as he rolled his eyes. "They might be a bit big, but we should be able to fit them just right."

As it turned out, the clothes were okay in length, but the too wide shoulders simply looked ridiculous on him, so Hermione just shrunk it a little. "So," he said when they were done. "How do I look?"

She placed her finger on her chin and pretended to think, before she answered: "Not your usual chic classy style, but the bad boy look also looks good on you."

He flashed her a smirk. "Just 'good'?" he asked cheekily.

She rolled her eyes. "Drop dead sexy, if you prefer."

His smirk widened. "Yes," he replied haughtily. "I prefer." Then, his face scrunched up and he sneezed again. "So," he said when she was done laughing at him. "What do we do now?"

She looked thoughtful. "We're both believed dead by now, so it might not be wise to just stroll in the Ministry of Magic unannounced. It would be better for everyone to think we were dead, too, like that we won't be extorted of any important information. We can't go home, because I broke up with Sirius…"

"Wait, what?" he asked. "You were back with my brother? How? When? Why?"

She sighed. "He was the closest thing to you I had, and he happened to be conveniently my friend. Besides, he was nice, and sweet, and… Oh, whatever. So we can't go there, we can't go the Order headquarters, I doubt they'd be happy to see you there… That only leaves one choice, then."

Regulus nodded in understanding. "Hogwarts." he guessed.

She nodded. "Exactly. We'll just talk to Professor Dumbledore and he'll give us a hand."

Regulus looked puzzled. "But how exactly do we get there? I mean, we can't exactly swim through that water." He shuddered at the thought.

Hermione smiled and shuffled through her handbag for a couple more minutes, before finding what she was looking for. Out she pulled a broomstick, and she said: "You have no objection to driving, do you?"

He smirked.

-o-O-o-

**Just so you know, I don't think this is anywhere near the end, just that the plot is thickening... Also, I don't think I'll be able to update on Friday... Anyway, please review! :p Especially if you're a Bon Jovi fan like me, because I'm listening to 'Bed of Roses' right now. Just thought you'd ought to know.  
**


	30. The Annoucement

**Disclaimer:**** Sadly, I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters. Everything belongs to JK Rowling, and I'm merely allowed to play around with them. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Huge thanks to my reviewers! The feedback I get for this story is amazing, it literally blows me! I love you guys! Thank you! Now, on with the story! :)**

_Chapter 30_

-o-O-o-

"What do you mean, '_dead_'?" Lily asked, her voice trembling.

Sirius bowed his head and gave a slight dry sob. The rest of the Order bowed their heads as well, in acknowledgement. All seemed saddened at this loss.

"How did she die?" Lily whispered, her eyes filling up with tears.

Sirius sniffed a little. "I don't know. It's all Regulus' fault."

"He killed her?" James asked, appalled.

He shook his head. "No, but he threatened to kill himself… She went to him and… She never came back."

"Then she's not dead!" Lily exclaimed, standing up. "If you haven't found proof, then it's impossible."

"Lily," James tried to reason. "If Sirius says it…"

"Sirius trusted what a warning letter said once." she cut him. We all know what happened then." Sirius looked ashamed. "And who got us out? Hermione did. Who reunited Sirius and Remus when they hated each other? Hermione did. Who went through multiple problems with Sirius and Regulus still came back to them? Hermione did. Hermione, Hermione, Hermione." she started to cry. "I don't give a mother-fucking rat's arse what you think, but I _know_ that she's not dead."

And with these words, she stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her. "It's her hormones." James said. "She'll come around."

Dumbledore, who hadn't said a word until then, declared: "Very well. Now, other important matters, should we make a ceremony for dear Hermione… Even though we have no body?"

A few whispers went around the room, until James stood up and declared: "We shall place a monument, here in Godric's Hollow, in the name of all the members of the Order of the Phoenix that died fighting. Hermione's name will be on the very top, written in big for all eyes to see."

Dumbledore nodded. "Very well." he said. "Let's move on to that mass murder in Diagon Alley the other day… Marlene, dear, would you care to investigate."

The pretty witch nodded her blond head, her curls flying around her face as she did so. "I'll do it."

Peter sneezed.

-o-O-o-

Dumbledore had always known where Hermione really came from. That did not stop him from believing that she belonged here, in 1979. The same way he believed that, he also agreed with Lily, Hermione couldn't be dead.

She was much too clever to die in a stupid suicide attempt… although he was pretty sure there was more to that. Besides, it would have been a clever way to escape, to make everyone believe she was dead… So she could simply sit and wait for her other self to go back to the past… A clever way to stop altering the timeline, if it had been.

So it was without surprise that he called out: "Come in, Miss Granger!" when a knock sounded on his office door as he was thinking about his problems.

The door swung open, to reveal not only Hermione, who looked slightly green, but also Regulus, his raven hair windswept and grinning broadly. "How did you know it was me?" she asked as the pair of them entered the busy office.

"Simple deduction." he revealed. "Sirius announced your death this morning."

She nodded. "They believed him?" she asked, just to make sure.

"Most of them did," the elder man said. "But I think Lily has doubts."

Regulus laughed a little. "What can we say? The Evans girl was always one of the cleverest."

"It's Potter, now, Mister Black." Dumbledore corrected him, before motioning to them to sit down. "I assume you're here because you want me to help you to go in hiding."

Hermione sighed. "Yes, we have." she said. "We both hold information that could be dangerous to know of. I thought it better if everyone believed we were dead."

"Regulus was supposed to die." Dumbledore said. It wasn't a question. "He was supposed to die and you saved him." His tone wasn't accusatory, yet she bowed her head in shame.

"What do you mean, I was supposed to die?" Regulus asked Dumbledore, slightly alarmed.

Dumbledore turned to Hermione. "You haven't told him?" he asked.

"Told me what?" Regulus panicked, turning to Hermione. "Hermione what the fuck's going on here?" She didn't say anything. "Hermione, what are you hiding from me? _Tell me!_"

"_Shut up!_" she yelled at him. She stood up abruptly, and, yanking Regulus to his feet, left the office. They both stormed down the staircase, out of the castle, out of the grounds… It took them fifteen minutes. And for these fifteen minutes, Hermione looked absolutely murderous.

Suddenly, she stopped, and twirled around, her wand in her hand. Regulus felt the pressure of Disappariton, until he felt his feet touch the ground. He looked around. "Where are we?" he asked. They were in a sort of complex of red brick houses, all the same. However, Hermione knew exactly which one she was walking towards.

He followed her, wondering where on Earth she was taking him. She rang the doorbell and waited, until a young woman, with striking chocolate brown doe eyes, opened. "Yes?" the woman asked.

"Good morning Madam." Hermione said, a now small but beautiful smile upon her features. "I was just wondering whether you'd seen a dog around here."

"Erm… I haven't, but you can ask my husband, he leaves the house more than I do." the woman answered, before stepping away from the door. "Please," she invited them. "Come in."

"Thank you." Hermione answered, and motioned for Regulus to follow her inside. He followed obediently, not quite getting where she was going at.

"What's your name dear?" the woman asked Hermione, leading her way through the slightly narrow corridors.

"I'm Cassia, and my boyfriend's name is Josh." she lied, motioning to Regulus, who was following behind her.

They entered a living room, where a man was watching television, his glasses on. "Richard?" the woman asked.

The man looked up and smiled. "Jean!" he said. "And you've got company! Who are these young people?"

Hermione laughed. "I doubt we're much younger than you!" she declared, and the couple smiled. "I'm Cassia, and this is Josh. We're looking for our lost dog."

Just then, a cry echoed in the room and a worried look crossed Jean's face. "Excuse me." she said and ran up a flight of stairs.

Meanwhile, Richard was smiling. "Where do you live?" he asked.

Hermione looked at Regulus pointedly. "Two blocks from here." he hastily answered. "We were walking our dog… er… Snuffles, around here, when he saw a… fox, and chased after it, about ten minutes ago."

Richard nodded. "What does Snuffles look like?" he asked.

Regulus gulped. "Well, he's big, and black… with long, curly hair… and he's very bouncy! Not very _serious_, if you know what I mean."

Hermione was trying hard not to laugh. Regulus turned back to her with a cheeky smile and he winked. "Well," Richard said. "I'll ask the neighbours, but I, personally, don't know any dog that goes by this name and description."

They heard some noise, and Jean descended down the stairs, cradling a small baby in her arms. "She just needed a diaper change," she told her husband. "But she refused to go back to her bed, so I brought her downstairs." She turned to Hermione and Regulus. "Have you had any luck with your dog?"

Hermione shook her head. "No, but he might come back on his own anyway. That's a beautiful baby you've got there… What's her name?"

Jean held her daughter up proudly. "Hermione." she declared. "Hermione Jean Granger."

Regulus stood, petrified. How could a baby have Hermione's exact name? Then everything fit together. The hasty arrival. The detachment at first. The Time-Travel researches. The reason to be believed dead. The way she seemed to know how and why everything was happening around her.

Hermione was from the future.

Thanks to a rapid mental calculation, since she was nineteen, and the baby looked about three months old… She had gone nineteen years back in time. It was, in theory, possible, but no one had ever managed it before… How? Why?

"Are you feeling alright, Josh?" Richard asked.

Regulus shook his head rapidly. "Yes, yes, I'm fine." he reassured him. "Can I… Can I hold her?"

Jean smiled. "Sure you can. Just be careful, she doesn't like strangers."

She handed him the baby, and he tried to fit her in his arms, clumsily shifting her occasionally. "She's…" he gulped. "She's beautiful." he managed to say.

The baby Hermione opened her navy blue eyes and stared up at Regulus in wonder. He smiled. She was truly pretty. She was so small, with only a tiny bit of frizzy brown hair on top of her apple-sized head. She had a cute button nose and, he saw when she yawned, a tiny red tongue and toothless gums.

"She's truly gorgeous." he said, before handing her back to Jean. "Well, ladies and gentleman, I'm afraid we're going to have to leave you, and go look for our dog."

Richard shot him a knowing smile. "Good luck." he said in Regulus' ear. "For both your dog… And the other thing."

And with these rather confusing words, the pair left the Grangers' house and went back to Hogwarts.

-o-O-o-

Dumbledore conjured them each a mug of tea and began speaking. "Now that you are both aware of the situation," he said. "I think I have found something for you. As you may perhaps know, a few days ago, there was a mass murder in Diagon Alley. Nineteen people were killed… Four of which were Hogwarts teachers. A professor, named Horace Slughorn, hearing the news, has quit his job. That leaves me with five jobs to be filled before the end of the Christmas break."

"What subjects do you need?" Hermione asked.

"Slughorn taught Potions, the others taught Divination, Arithmancy, Astronomy and Muggle Studies." he revealed. "What I can propose is that you start teaching next trimester, under a fake identity, one of these subjects each. It helps all of us. Now, I thought Hermione, being Muggle-born, could teach Muggle Studies-"

"No." Hermione cut him. "It'll be too conspicuous. A person nobody's ever seen comes and teaches Muggle Studies… Everyone will know, or at least suspect, it's me." She shook her head. "I'll take Astronomy."

Dumbledore nodded. "And Regulus, what will you take?"

"I suck at Muggle Studies and Divination, and although I like Potions, I think it's too much of an important job." he declared. "That leaves me with Arithmancy."

"Alright." Dumbledore agreed. "Each of you will have to find a suitable costume of sorts to play your part in. I suggest you find one tonight, as well as a name, an origin etcetera. Tomorrow, we will forge your papers and make the contracts… Since you will be teaching here, you will get paid, and so I suggest you take an appointment to Gringotts as well. I'll give you quarters to live in during the school year… I take you wouldn't mind sharing?"

They looked at each other and Regulus grinned cheekily. "Oh, no. I don't mind sharing at all."

Hermione slapped his arm.

-o-O-o-

"Regulus?" Hermione whined in front of her mirror. "I don't know what colour to do my hair!"

The man who walked in definitely did not look like Regulus. She would've gasped if she hadn't spent the last two hours staring at him as he changed form and voice right before her eyes. He aced at human Transfiguration. "Do like me." he said.

She stared at his fake balding, deep brown hair and shook her head. "WE can't have the same hair colour." she told him.

He rolled his eyes. "I mean my technique." he clarified. "I did my hair the same colour as your eyes, and my eyes the same colour as your hair. You try it."

She had to admit, she was impressed by his reasoning. Concentrating very hard, she turned her hair a very light silver and her eyes black. The result looked very good… and convincing. "Wow." she said, before turning to Regulus. "How do I look?"

He smirked. "Gorgeous." he said. "Good enough to eat." he added, slipping his hands around her waist.

He tried to kiss her but she shook her head. "I am not snogging some weird dude who looks twice my age." she said.

He groaned but pulled away, before staring at himself in the mirror. "Hello." he said with a deep voice. "My name is Professor Hershel Vector. I will be teaching Arithmancy from now on."

Hermione cleared her throat. "And I'm Professor Stella Sinistra. I will be teaching Astronomy from now on." she said with a fake high voice.

Then turned to face each other, trying to find some flaws they could fix. When they found none, Regulus declared: "This just might work."

-o-O-o-

**We all hope it does! Please review and tell me what you think! :) **

**WARNING:**** Next chapter owns its rating, if you know what I mean. ;)**


	31. Together

**Disclaimer:**** Sadly, I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters. Everything belongs to JK Rowling, and I'm merely allowed to play around with them. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**I'm sorry this is slightly late, but I promise that I'll update in six or seven hours... As I said at the end of the last chapter, this one owns its rating… It is rated M after all. Now, please enjoy, review and all the rest of that. :)**

_Chapter 31_

-o-O-o-

"Gringotts accounts?"

"Check."

"Forged papers?"

"Check."

"Cover stories?"

"Check."

"Contracts?"

"Check."

"Salaries?"

"Quadruple check." Regulus said as he grinned cheekily at Hermione.

She rolled her eyes. "Well," she said. "It appears as though we've gone through everything." She turned and looked at Regulus, who appeared to be staring into nothingness. "Regulus?" she asked.

He turned to face her, his gaze still glazed. "Yes?" he asked.

She arched an eyebrow. "Are you alright?" she asked, slightly worried.

He nodded and lay down on their bed. "Yeah." he said. "It's just… You know when we went to see your parents and baby you?"

"Yes." she said, remembering the event that had happened five days ago.

"Well…" He sighed. "Your dad wished me good luck for our dog and for something else… He didn't tell me what it was, but now I think I know… I think he saw the look in my eyes when… When I held baby you and… Shit, Hermione, I want us to have a baby."

Her breath hitched. "Regulus… We… I mean… We haven't even…" she stuttered.

He nodded. "I know, I didn't say now, it could be in a month, or three, or in a year, I don't care but… I want to know if you want me that way."

She lay down next to him and looked at him straight in the eyes. "I do." she admitted. "I'm not even unsure or anything, I'm absolutely positive that all I want is to have a family with you, one day, but Regulus… It's too dangerous."

"You mean the timeline and all?" he asked. She nodded. "That's bullshit." he declared. "If you were so fucking worried about the timeline, you wouldn't have saved me. You would have left me drown, and not felt the least bit guilty."

"But Regulus," she reasoned. "I've tampered with the timeline far too much already. What if I do something that will definitely blow everything up? It would all be my fault… I can't do this."

"Yes, you can." he told her, grabbing her wrists hard without hurting her. "You can, and I'll be with you. Together… we'll make it. Together… we'll take the right path. Together… Together we can do anything."

Her eyes filled up with tears and she smiled. "I love you." she said.

He smiled sweetly back at her. "I love you too." and he moved forward to kiss her.

Their lips moved in synchronisation, moulding against each other as if they were made to be this way. His hands slid up and down her body, admiring every curve and every angle as if they were sculpted by the gods themselves.

Hermione's hands were smoothing their way from his cheeks to his neck, undoing the buttons of his shirt and splaying across his chest. They both sat up so he could shrug the piece of clothing away, while Hermione's t-shirt came off too. She had barely slipped it over her head that his hands were on her again, caressing and massaging her breasts through her thin, beige bra, as his mouth latched onto hers once again.

She moaned into his mouth as he felt her nipples harden against his touch. Wanting to return the favour, she moved her hands from his chest to his belt, unbuckling it, slipping it out and carelessly throwing it across the floor. Her hands dipped down his pants and encountered his manhood and she gasped, amazed by the sheer length of it.

He smirked and unclasped her bra, before pushing her back down and straddling her hips slightly. His mouth moved to her creamy white breasts and she gasped again, clenching her hands slightly as a reflex. He hissed slightly, before shifting so as to be able to slip her hands out of his trousers, discarding the rest of his clothing on the way. He decided to waste no more time and to unzip her skirt, sliding it down her legs in a slow, taunting motion.

She stared at him intently as he slipped the piece of clothing off of her, leaving her in only her panties, which she was beginning to wet. He kissed his way up her leg, from her ankle to the inside of her thigh, before slipping a finger on the side of her underwear and slipping it down, in the same motion he had done with her skirt. Once they were both equally naked, he climbed back up her body, propping himself up on his elbows.

She stared directly into his eyes and moved her hips up, so as to position him just right at her entrance. Then, her eyes moved to his left arm, and to his Mark. When she looked back to him, he looked nervous. "It's okay." she reassured him. "I want you… All of you."

He had gone back to staring at his left arm, before moving to her right one. That was when he noticed something sort of sticking out, a rectangular bump against her skin. "What's that?" he asked.

"Muggle contraceptive." she said, not even bothering to look at what he was staring at.

He nodded and went back to stare into her eyes. He nudged her slightly and, as she gave a slight nod, dived deep into her in one, quick stroke. He watched her mouth open in a perfect oval shape and whispered: "I love you."

He pulled out almost entirely before pushing back in, slower this time. He continued this slow rhythm, waiting for her to adjust until she whispered: "More." He complied with her wishes, and soon she was moaning. She wrapped her legs around his waist, and to him, they felt like steel, holding him on to the sweet pleasure he was feeling.

Neither broke the eye contact as the pace increased again. Soon, sweat beaded both their foreheads and their breaths came in short pants. Hermione's hands were clutching onto his shoulders, nails digging slightly as his name flew repeatedly from her mouth. He was doing the same thing, giving an occasional groan to try and keep himself from falling over the edge, trying to ensure her a maximum of pleasure.

Then, she cried out his name, as well as an: "I love you!" and he felt her spasm around him, cutting his breath short by the mere beauty of her. Her back arched off the mattress, her nails dug into his shoulders and her head was thrown back in ecstasy.

Mesmerised, he gave a loud groan before burying himself deeper inside of her, his hips jerking slightly as he spent himself, crying out her name multiple times.

He rested himself above her for a few minutes as they both caught their breaths, still clinging on to each other as if they were their pillar to the ground. And as Regulus' thoughts drifted to unconsciousness, his head buried in the valley of her breasts, listening to her heart beat, he wouldn't have it any other way.

-o-O-o-

"If it's a girl, we could call her Hermione." Lily whispered to James as he laid his head across the slight bump on her stomach.

"Alright." he agreed softly. "But what if it's a boy?"

"It's a girl." Lily said, her voice croaking slightly, but smiling.

James smiled. "_What if_ it's a boy?" he repeated.

She rolled her eyes. "Sirius wants us to name him Sirius junior." she said.

"Let me guess." he said. "You refused."

She laughed. "I downright kicked him out of the house."

They left it at that, until James declared: "I like Harry."

Lily thought about it. "Harry…" she mused. "Harry James Potter… I like it." She smiled at James. "But it's a girl."

He smiled too and sat up to kiss her lips softly. "As you say, love." he amended.

-o-O-o-

"I've found the three missing teachers." Dumbledore declared when Regulus and Hermione went to see him the next day. "Charity Burbage will be teaching Muggle Studies, Sybill Trelawney will be teaching Divination, and Severus Snape will be teaching Potions."

"Snape?" Regulus asked. "Why the fuck would you give a job to a Death Eater?"

"Watch your language, Black." a voice came from a far corner of the Headmaster's office. Hermione's eyes darted to that corner and out slipped Professor Snape, complete with billowing robes and leather boots.

"Severus!" Regulus exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

He rolled his eyes. "Pretty much the same as you. I was told to do something, which resulted in me joining the Order of the Phoenix, spying on the Dark Lord… All for the love of a Mudblood."

Regulus cringed. "Don't use that word." he said.

Severus shook his head. "It's not an insult to me anymore… Though I rarely say it."

Regulus stared at his friend for a long time. "Who?"

Severus looked down, an ashamed look spreading on his features. "Lily…" he admitted.

Hermione's eyes widened, before she caught herself and recomposed her features. "What do you know?" she asked him.

He looked back up at her. "You saved him, both of you went into hiding, posing as Arithmancy and Astronomy teachers. That's it."

"That's it?" she asked.

He looked thoughtful for a moment, before he declared: "Oh, yeah! I also know that you go around the castle screwing like bunnies and that you share quarters."

Hermione blushed, but Regulus burst out laughing. He stood up and walked over to embrace his best friend. He returned the embrace and gave a very rare, sincere smile. They broke apart and patted each other on the back, before Regulus turned to Hermione and Dumbledore. "I'm afraid we're going to have to take leave, we have a lot of things to catch up on."

And with that, both boys left. Hermione stood up quickly and ran after them. When she was in the corridor, she called out: "Snape!" Both of them turned around, and she continued: "I need him back, sober, by eleven!"

-o-O-o-

"You are hopeless, Severus." Regulus said, gulping the rest of his Firewhiskey.

"What can I say?" the other answered, twirling his already empty glass between his fingers. "It was just supposed to be a prophecy… I didn't expect him to want to kill her…"

"Yep." Regulus said, dropping a Galleon and dragging his friend out of the Hog's Head. Both of them walked around Diagon Alley, before a shop caught his eye. "Wait a second!" he exclaimed, walking over to said shop.

"What?" Severus asked, following his friend. He looked at the shop, then back at Regulus. "Reg- I mean, Hershel, what's so special about this jewellery shop?"

"It's not the shop, you dimwit!" he said, sounding irritated. "Look!" he added, pointing to something behind the glass.

Severus bent down and saw what Regulus was pointing at. It was a ring, two threads of yellow and white gold entwined, with a diamond in the middle, as well as two smaller amethysts circling it. Severus shrugged. "Yeah, it's pretty."

"_Pretty?_" Regulus asked. "It's perfect!" And before the other could make a move, he was inside and trying to negotiate the price with the shop owner. Not ten minutes later, he got out, grinning like a total idiot, pocketing a black velvet box. "I'm gonna get married." he said, his eyes glistening.

Severus rolled his eyes. "I've never seen a man so happy to be permanently attached to a supposedly dead girl… But, then again, inbreeding does things to you."

And the two men started back to Hogwarts.

-o-O-o-

"No." Lily said, finality in her tone.

James tried to reason with her. "But, Lily, honey…" he cooed.

She turned and glared at him. "I said no, James. Hermione is irreplaceable. Our child will not have a Godmother and that's it."

"But what if something happens to us, huh?" he asked. "Sirius can't take care of a kid on his own, he can barely look after himself."

She shrugged. "He'll learn. Remus will help him. Besides, if anything happens to us _and_ Sirius, we could still send her off to live with my sister. She just had her own baby."

James frowned. "Over my dead body." he warned. Just then, the doorbell rang. "I'll get it." he sighed, walking over to the door. He opened it and saw Sirius standing there, snow in his hair with his brand new motorbike just behind him. He looked terrified. "Sirius?" James asked. "What's wrong?"

The other gulped. "It's Marlene, James."

James' blood froze. "What's wrong with her?" he asked, although he was pretty sure he knew what was coming next.

"She's dead."

-o-O-o-

**Please review! Tell me how you think she died, how, and, of course, if you liked the chapter! I'm still accepting names, by the way!**


	32. Never Gonna Leave This Bed

**Disclaimer:**** Sadly, I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters. Everything belongs to JK Rowling, and I'm merely allowed to play around with them. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Yay another chapter! Thirty two and still rolling! :) This chapter's title comes from the name of a song by Maroon 5. If you guys know it, you should know a bit of what happens in it. I know right, I'm a Bon Jovi and a Maroon 5 fan... Not to mention Team Starkid. :p On with the story.  
**

_Chapter 32_

-o-O-o-

'_Keep calm, Hermione. No one knows it's you. Everybody thinks you're dead. Absolutely nobody is suspicious._' Hermione repeated that sentence so often in her head one would think she might end up believing it. However, she didn't.

So she just gulped some soup down as the newly arrived students chatted animatedly about their holidays. It felt strange, to her, sitting at the teacher's table, in the Great Hall, seeing that, less than a year earlier, she had been at their level.

Regulus, on the other hand, didn't seem nervous at all. If he was, he was hiding it very well. She scanned the Hall and the students. Most had been in school with her, sometimes barely a year below.

When Dumbledore had introduced the new teachers and she had heard the students clap, she had felt rather faint. It was nothing compared to now. So when Dumbledore declared the meal over, she stood up as quickly as she could and almost ran to her quarters.

As she stepped inside, breathless, she cursed Dumbledore for having them placed on the seventh floor. She quickly removed all her camouflage charms and stood there, motionless, for a couple of minutes. Then Regulus came in and removed his charms as well.

"That didn't go as well as I though it would." she said, not turning around to look at him.

He placed his hands on her shoulders and massaged them softly. "I think it went well." he whispered in her ear.

She moaned slightly as he wiped all traces of stress away from her body. "It could have been worse." she agreed reluctantly.

He kissed her neck softly. "We could have been discovered." he said, sending shivers up and down her body. "We could have had worse jobs, too."

She nodded. "I've got twelve hours of class a week. You?"

He laughed a little. "Ten." he said.

"That's unfair!" she replied, faking anger.

He smirked. "I only do two hours per class, and I've only got one of each year, minus first and second years."

She huffed. "I've got them all, from first to seventh year, two classes each, except for the last two, where I only have one. I get them one hour a week." she explained.

Regulus laughed a little. "That's twenty two hours for the both of us… Severus has thirty six on his own."

"Serves him right." she said. "That greasy little git…"

Regulus shook his head. "You shouldn't insult people's best friends like that." He spun her around so she could face him. He was smirking. "Maybe I should teach you a lesson…"

As his hands sneaked around her to pinch her backside, she smiled playfully. "Please do."

-o-O-o-

"I think it's all linked." Remus said, one day, as he was buttering a piece of bread, while Sirius and he were having breakfast in the latter's flat.

The other, still half asleep, looked at him with tired eyes. "Excuse me… What?" he asked, his voice slurring slightly.

"The murders." Remus explained. "I think they're all linked. That it's the same person who killed all these people."

"Of course it is, Moony." Sirius groaned. "It's Lord bloody Voldemort."

The other shook his head. "No, it's a Death Eater. One Death Eater in particular… Although why, I don't know."

"Wait a second." Sirius said. "Which murders?"

"Marlene." he explained. "Mary. Hermione and Regulus…"

"These two weren't killed." Sirius groaned. "They killed themselves."

Remus shook his head again. "It seems way too fishy to me." he said. "Hermione was clever. Regulus was clever. They wouldn't kill themselves."

"Well how do you suppose they died, then eh?!" Sirius bellowed, slamming his fist on the table and spilling some of his tea.

Remus remained calm. "I think they did that mission… Whatever they wanted to do…"

"There was no mission." Sirius groaned, stabbing a piece of bread multiple times, like a child playing with his food. "There were just two deaths."

Remus sighed. "Neither of them would've been stupid enough to die for nothing. Both of them would have wanted to die doing something good. Or at the very least useful. It was a mission. I believe that Regulus set it up, believed he would die if he did it alone, Hermione came over, they succeeded, prepared to go home but were murdered."

"But why, huh?" Sirius asked. "A guy has to have a motive for killing somebody! He can't just kill them for the fun of it! That's disgusting…"

"Unless there is a spy in our ranks." Remus whispered. "If there was a spy, and Regulus and Hermione found out who it was, so he killed them… And he was the one who set the mass murder up, so when Marlene investigated and found out who it was, she was killed too."

"And Mary?" Sirius asked. "Why was Mary killed?"

Remus' eyes darkened. "I believe that was cold blooded murder, only done to prove a point." He turned to Sirius. "Believe me, if I catch that person… He's gonna wish he'd never been born."

-o-O-o-

Regulus awoke somewhere in the middle of the night, not remembering anything about the dream he had just had. He stretched slightly and tightened his arms, finding out he was holding Hermione's naked frame close to his chest. His heart swelled, and suddenly, he had an idea.

He slipped out of bed, pulling a pair of boxers on as he went, and grabbed his cloak, before walking back to her. He crouched down in front of her peaceful face, watching her eyes move from beneath her eyelids in the moonlight. He reached out a hand and caressed her creamy white cheek, smiling at her absolute beauty.

She moved a little, scrunching up her nose, before she stretched and yawned and opened her eyes. "Regulus?" she asked groggily.

"Shhh…" he whispered, stroking her cheek again as she tried to sit up.

"What's wrong?" she asked, stretching over to switch their side lamp on.

He smiled and pulled his cloak closer to him, a hand slipping in his pocket. "Nothing's wrong baby." he said. "I just wanted to tell you I love you."

She stared at him through a curtain of curly hair, confused. "That's it?" she asked. "You woke me up at," She glanced at the alarm clock. "Half past two, to tell me you love me?"

He smiled and shook his head. "I also wanted to tell you I am never going to walk away from you, ever again." He bent down on one knee. "I love you so much, I can't think straight. If you would do me the honour," He slipped his hand out of his pocket and pulled out the black velvet box. "Of becoming my wife… I'd be the happiest of all men of the entire Earth." He flipped the box open, revealing the ring he had bought a week earlier.

She stared at him, then at the ring, then back at him again. "Are you…" She gulped. "Are you serious?"

He laughed a little. "Actually, I'm Regulus." he joked, but then got his face straight again. "But if you're talking about getting married, I am definitely serious. In fact, I'm _dead _serious." They waited for a couple of more moments before he cleared his throat. "So," he said, slightly nervous now, due to her lack of answer. "Will you?"

There was a blur of colour and suddenly Regulus found himself being hugged so tight it was as if his life depended on it. "Yes!" she squealed into his bare shoulder. "Yes I'll marry you!" She was rather loud considering she'd only just been woken up.

He felt his shoulder getting wet and, sure enough, when she pulled away, she was crying. She sniffed a little and wiped some of her tears away, and he gave a short laugh. "Well," he declared. "I'm certainly glad that's sorted out."

She laughed too, and he took her left hand to slip the ring on. She watched it glint in the lamp light and whispered: "It's gorgeous."

He cupped her face and whispered back: "It's nowhere near as gorgeous as you are."

She kissed him softly and pulled him back into the bed, his cloak discarded. He turned the light off and she whispered: "I love you. I love you so much."

He held her close and answered: "I love you too."

He buried his face in her hair as she did the same with his chest, but just as they were about to fall asleep, she whispered: "Regulus?"

"Hmm… Yeah?" he answered.

She waited a couple of seconds before continuing: "I'm never gonna leave this bed."

He smiled and kissed the top of her head. "Me neither babe." he answered. "Me neither."

-o-O-o-

"Will you, or not?" James asked for the umpteenth time that night.

"I…" Sirius stuttered. "I don't… I guess… Oh!" he exclaimed. "I've got a much better idea!"

"What?" Lily asked, putting her mug of tea down on the table.

"We'll make Peter the Secret Keeper!" he revealed.

Lily choked and James spat out all the tea he had put in his mouth, and all of it ended up in Sirius' hair. "Excuse me… _What?!_" James asked for confirmation.

"It makes perfect sense!" Sirius said, wiping out all traces of spit from his beautifully messed up raven locks. "Peter is Secret Keeper, Voldemort thinks it's me, I get kidnapped and tortured, but your secret is safe!"

They stared at him for some minutes until James answered: "That is the looniest, craziest, riskiest idea you've ever had, Padfoot." he said. "… I like it."

Sirius smiled at his best friend, while the only girl present in the room spluttered out: "Are you nuts? You're going to get us all killed!" she yelled.

Sirius shrugged. "That's only if they discover the ruse." he said. "But who would have though I had come up with it, let alone agreed to it?"

James nodded. "True, since everybody knows how much of an egocentrically hair-obsessed idiotic freaky loud little bastard you are."

"Gee, thanks for the ego boost, Prongsie, I needed it." Sirius replied sarcastically.

"Not to mention that you smoke, you drink, you whore around, you cheat…" James counted them off his fingers.

Lily continued: "You lie, you break, you boast…"

James was still counting: "You're bipolar, maybe schizophrenic, you have issues, you smoke weed…"

"Wait a second!" Sirius interrupted them. "I do _not_ smoke weed!"

James arched an eyebrow. "Really?" he asked. "How about that time in sixth year when you were laughing like crazy for no reason and Moony found a bag under your mattress labelled, I quote: '_Padfoot's Pot_'?"

"Oh…" Sirius said, looking slightly offended and ashamed. "Oh, yeah…"

James rolled his eyes. "The point is, Paddie, everybody will believe you are the Secret Keeper. Your plan might actually work." He smiled.

Sirius grinned too. "Admit it, I'm brilliant." he said, turning to his almost sister in law.

Lily sighed. "Whatever makes you happy, Sirius." she gave in.

James straightened his glasses and declared: "Well, it seems as if a trip to Hogwarts is in order."

-o-O-o-

The Dark Lord was pacing the floors of Malfoy Manor, his servants cowering under his glare. "I will kill the Potter brat." he was repeating. "… I will kill him, and then I will be invincible!"

Lucius felt something poke his rib and turned around; it was Severus. "Sorry," he whispered. "I just got there. Did I miss something?"

Lucius shook his head, although barely perceptibly. "Just some more rambling about that damned prophecy." he said.

"I will kill him, do you hear me?!" the Dark Lord yelled, his high voice echoing around the rich stone walls. All of the Death Eaters nodded and murmured in agreement and their master, contented, went back to his self talking.

"How long has he been going on?" Severus asked the blond man next to him.

The letter shook his head. "At least two hours. Once in a while he yells, I think it lakes him feel better."

Severus nodded. "_Out!_" Voldemort called out suddenly. As all of his servants scrambled up to leave the room, he giggled like a maniac. "Kill Potter!" he yelled, spreading his arms and still laughing. "_Kill Potter!_"

The two friends slipped out of the room as fast as they could, before looking at each other. They didn't need words to know what the other was thinking. They were both thinking the same thing: '_The Dark Lord is crazy._' And, somewhere in the deep recesses of their minds, they were thinking: '_Why didn't we notice before?_'

-o-O-o-

**Please review! :) Tell me if you liked my awesome description of Sirius, Voldemort or anything else! Don't forget, if you haven't already, that my poll is up and you can still vote! :D  
**


	33. When Sirius Meets Stella

**Disclaimer:**** Sadly, I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters. Everything belongs to JK Rowling, and I'm merely allowed to play around with them. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Thanks a lot for the amazing feedback, people! All these reviwes keep me going! :D WARNING: This one owns its rating too… You have been warned. But then again, you probably came here for that, didn't you? He he he...  
**

_Chapter 33_

-o-O-o-

"Good evening, students." Hermione said with her magically transformed voice. "As you have surely heard from Professor Dumbledore, my name is Professor Sinistra, and I will be teaching Astronomy from now on. Now, any questions before I give you your first assignment?"

Her class of fourth years yawned slightly.

"Good." she said. "Now, for next week, I want a foot on five stars of the Andromeda galaxy. You mat begin your observations now."

A girl with strawberry blond hair raised her hand.

Hermione nodded towards her. "Yes, Miss…" She remembered her name, but it would seem strange if she knew it when the girl hadn't even presented herself.

"Smith, Miss." the girl answered. "Theresa Smith. Can we choose the five stars we are to talk about?"

The teacher nodded. "It is compulsory to choose these five stars, Miss Smith. Any other questions?" she asked. Seeing that no more hands were raised, she nodded. "Very well. You can start working."

-o-O-o-

Teaching Astronomy was rather easy, Hermione noted. Her student rarely disrupted class, seeing as they were tired by the time it came. The only class which did stir up some trouble were her seventh years, which she had Saturday at one o'clock.

One student, whose name was Charles White, raised her hand to say: "But what if we can't write because we're in an environment with too much sexual tension?" The guy even had the nerve to wink at her.

She had kept her cool and answered: "Well, I suggest you try writing with your other hand, Mr. White."

The whole class had laughed and she had earned a reputation of a good teacher, able to handle a class, without seeming to uptight, like McGonagall, for example. Most, if not all, of her students, liked her, and seemed to respect her.

Regulus, on the other hand, had seemed boring from his first class. His homework, according to the rumours, was too hard, or too long, although the man himself insisted that his students were just lazy.

On the weekend, however, both of them left their costumes and had uninterrupted time together. They would make love, read, talk, drink tea, and make love some more. One Saturday, which happened to be Valentines Day, they had just finished a particularly good session and were lying down, when Regulus declared: "We should tell Dumbledore about the engagement."

They were both stark naked, his chest flat against her back, both watching the flames flicker in the fireplace. She craned her neck to get a look at his face. He looked dead serious. She sighed. "I'm pretty sure he already knows." she whispered.

He shrugged slightly. "So? We're going to have to ask him to marry us one of these days."

She looked, and was, surprised. "He can marry us?" she asked, baffled.

He stared at her. "Sure." he said. "In the Wizarding world, people are married by members of the Wizengamot. I guess he'd want to do it, like that he could hide our papers." He grinned. "And then you'd be stuck with me for the rest of your life."

"Why?" she asked, smiling as he nuzzled her neck and started kissing her there. "Can't we divorce?"

His hand snaked around to grab her breast and she moaned slightly. "We could." he teased. "But I wouldn't let you." He rolled around so that her stomach was flat against the thick woollen carpet and kissed her between her shoulder blades. "You're mine." he whispered, grabbing her hips.

She moaned as he sat back up, pressing his erection at her entrance. "Yes." she whispered, breathless with anticipation. "Yours." He entered her slowly and she gasped, arching herself against him, burying him deeper inside her warmth.

He groaned and pulled back, before slapping himself back in rapidly. She arched herself against him and they commenced a rhythm that fit the both of them. The friction they felt was incredible, not to mention the love leaking through their pores. Soon enough, she had to gulp down her pleasure to prevent herself from coming too soon.

However, she couldn't hold it in forever and soon she was panting. "Regulus…" she said. "I… Gods, I'm…"

"Let go." he ordered her, still moving his hips restlessly in hers. "Let it all go."

She did as she was told and, a couple of minutes later, gasped and stiffened as her whole body broke with the intensity of her pleasure. "Regulus!" she cried out, clenching him so hard she was sure she would never let go.

He gave a loud groan and spilt himself inside if her, calling out: "Hermione!" For less than ten seconds, both felt as if in heaven, then felt dizzy as the world came back swimming into view.

Panting, they watched the flames flicker some more, much less bright now, before she declared: "Tomorrow. We'll go and see Dumbledore tomorrow."

-o-O-o-

The next day, both had their camouflage back on as they walked to the Headmaster's office. Hermione was first, and she barged in as if she owned the place. Barely a meter in, however, she froze. Peter, Sirius, James and Lily were talking to Dumbledore, and all froze too when they heard the door open.

"Hershel! Stella! To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?" the eldest man said, his eyes twinkling in amusement.

"Erm…" Hermione tried, but she was too surprised to say anything.

"Oh! Where are my manners?" Dumbledore exclaimed, walking around his desk as all four others turned around to face the intruders. "Children, these are two new teachers: Hershel Vector, who teaches Arithmancy, and Stella Sinistra, who teaches Astronomy. Hershel, Stella, I'd like you to meet some of my ex-students, James and Lily Potter, Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew."

"It's very nice to meet you all." Hermione said, smiling despite her want to cry.

Sirius walked over to her, smiling, and grabbed her right hand so as to kiss her knuckle. "It's nice to meet you too." he declared. "It's very rare that I meet such a lovely lady in such a place, but I think I'll be able to cope."

Hermione mentally face palmed herself. Sirius never changed, did her? "The same goes to you, Mister Black." she said, before turning to Dumbledore "We can come back later, if we're bothering you." she said. Regulus hadn't said a word.

The professor shook his head. "We had just finished talking, anyway. They were leaving. Weren't you kids?" They all nodded. "Well, I'll see you Wednesday, then." he declared cheerily.

They left the room, James and Peter passive, Sirius sort of flirty, but Lily… Her baby bump was showing slightly, and she was staring intently at Hermione, lingering at the door to stare at her some more. '_Maybe she's suspicious!_' she though, but quickly banished that thought. It was literally impossible… Right?

Dumbledore broke her out of her reverie. "You wanted to see me."

"Yes." Regulus said, with his no longer transformed voice. "We wanted to announce that we're getting married." He grasped her hand with that statement, and they smiled at each other.

"Oh!" he gushed. "Wonderful news! Of course, I'd already had students telling rumours about your engagement ring, Hermione, but you just confirmed it!"

She giggled a little. "Would you…" she started to ask, but he beat her to it.

"Draw your marriage contracts?" he asked. "Of course I will! Someone needs to muffle this whole story." he said the last part with a wink. "Anyway, if that's all you needed me for, I'd be glad to release you from my office."

Regulus nodded. "Thank you." he said sincerely, and they headed out. It was only when they were back in the safety of their quarters that he hugged her close and whispered: "I love you." in her ear.

She answered similarly and neither was seen until dinner came.

-o-O-o-

"Don't you think something was fishy with them?" Lily asked the others once they were out of Dumbledore's office.

James looked confused. "Who?" he asked.

"Hershel and Stella." she explained.

Sirius gave her a doggish grin. "Other than the fact that she is the prettiest, sexiest, hottest, most attractive girl I've ever met behind Hermione?" he asked. "I haven't noticed anything." he said, shoving his hands down his pockets and still smiling goofily.

"Something was off." Lily persisted.

"Yeah," Sirius agreed. Lily looked at him expectantly, but all he said was: "She must have been thrown off by my amazing good looks!"

Peter rolled his eyes. "You're not _that_ good looking." he put in.

Sirius shrugged "I don't care if I don't attract males, anyway." he declared. "Just Stella… Hmm… Stella Black sounds nice." he put in, his smile returning.

James sighed. "Since you are too much of a lovesick puppy to have noticed it yourself, Padfoot, she wears an engagement ring. And since she and that Hershel bloke came in at the same time, I'd guess she's getting married to him."

"Him?" Sirius asked, affronted. "Why would she go for that weird, old, balding dude when she can have a sex bomb like me?"

"Back to the point!" Lily said. "How would you explain that she knew you were Sirius and not James or Peter?"

Peter shrugged. "You and James certainly look like a happily married couple, so she couldn't mistake them both." he reasoned.

"Besides," Sirius added, his forefinger placed on his chin in a thoughtful way. "She's probably heard of my famous sexual prowess somewhere."

Lily sighed. "But why was Hershel glaring at you like crazy, then, Sirius?" she asked, trying to prove a point.

"Lily, love," James tried to reason her. "If he really is her fiancé, he wouldn't like it too much if Sirius got a little close. _Even_," he added when he saw Sirius take in another breath to boast and gloat about his physical attributes. "If he knows he has nothing to fear."

Sirius pouted and Lily let it go for now.

-o-O-o-

However, when Lily and James were alone at home, she started talking about it again. She was slicing some carrots and he was reading his newspaper, when she called out: "I think it's Hermione."

"Hmm?" James asked, not looking up from his paper. "What's Hermione, honey?"

"Stella." she explained. "And Regulus would be Hershel. Both of them would be in disguise."

James put his paper down and hitched his glasses higher up his nose. "What makes you think that?" he asked softly.

"I never believed Hermione was dead in the first place." she explained. "If she's not dead, then Regulus isn't either. Besides, Sirius showed us the voicemail Regulus left her. He loves her. We all knew Hermione had feelings for him, but what if it had been love all along?"

"She loved Sirius." James said, almost trying to convince himself.

"What if she didn't?" Lily asked, slamming her knife down as she finished cutting up her carrots. "What if she just missed Regulus and Sirius was the closest thing she had to him? When she heard that voicemail, she probably took her chances and they decided to live a new life together."

"Hermione wouldn't ditch us." James said, sensing that this was going to go downhill.

"He's a Death Eater!" she said. "Maybe he turned her into one too and now they're both spies for Voldemort, and Dumbledore actually believes their false identities! What if-"

"Stop!" James cut her harshly. "Listen to yourself speak, Lily! This is madness! Hermione a Death Eater?! May I remind you that they were the ones that destroyed her home and her family, why on Earth would she join them? I agree that Hermione may have kept many things from us, but she really did love us. Do you remember what she said at Mary's funeral?"

Lily nodded. "_Cowards die many times before their deaths, the valiant never taste of death but once._" Her eyes filled up with tears.

He nodded. "_It seems to me most strange that men should fear, seeing that death, a necessary end, will come when it will come._"

Lily burst in tears and fell into his arms heavily.

James held her as she cried. "She's dead, Lily." he whispered. "I know you miss her horribly, but she's gone… And as much as everyone would like her too, she's not coming back."

He didn't notice, but as sobs wracked through her body, she shook her head defiantly.

-o-O-o-

**Please review! What do you think Lily will/should do? When will baby Harry be born? What did you think of this chapter (I was nervous about the sex scene, I've never written one before this story)? You can even just give me name suggestions if you want! :)**


	34. Words Can't Say What Love Can Do

**Disclaimer:**** Sadly, I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters. Everything belongs to JK Rowling, and I'm merely allowed to play around with them. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Quite a lot of people guessed correctly on what was going to happen in this chapter, although I think it was pretty easy. :) I'm really sorry, but I don't know when the next update will be, so... Yeah, sorry, and see you whenever I have the time to update. Enjoy!  
**

_Chapter 34_

-o-O-o-

"The nineteenth of April." Hermione said, the next day. She had been correcting a stack of third year's essays on the Orion constellation when the date had popped up in her mind.

Regulus looked up from his own stack to gaze at her, slightly puzzled. "What?" he asked, unsure of what she meant.

"Our wedding." she explained, turning around to face him. "It will take place on the nineteenth of April."

He arched an eyebrow delicately. "Don't I get a say in that?" he asked playfully.

She grinned. "Nope."

He shrugged, turning back to his stack of essays. They corrected like that for a couple more minutes before Regulus stood up, stretching. "Oh, well." he said. "I'm going to take a shower. Care to join me?"

She smiled but shook her head. "I need to finish these; I want to give them back tomorrow."

He wiggled his eyebrows at her. "Are you sure? You look a little tense… That could be fixed."

She giggled a bit. "Let me just finish them, then I'm all yours."

He winked at her and headed towards the bathroom door. "I like the sound of that." he said, before disappearing.

She shook her head, but had not even the time to put her quill down when a knock on the door was heard. She looked up, wondering who could be there, knowing where her quarters were and who to find. Maybe a student?

The knock was heard again and she stood up, put her camouflage charms back on and walked to the front door. She opened it to find Lily staring back at her.

"Mrs. Potter?" she asked, her voice quivering slightly in fear. "What seems to be the matter?"

Lily looked furious. "Don't you pull that stunt at me, Hermione! I know perfectly well who you are, why you're here and everything!"

Hermione frowned. She couldn't. "I'm afraid there's been a mistake, Mrs. Potter, but feel free to come in."

"Don't mind if I do." Lily growled, barging past Hermione and into the study.

Hermione tried to deny her identity again. "Mrs. Potter, I'm afraid I really don't understand the purpose of your-"

But, just then, Regulus barged in the room, wearing only a towel and his hair sticking to his face. "Hermione, babe, we forgot to buy shamp-" He stopped abruptly, noticing that Lily was there. "Fuck." was the only thing he managed to say.

Lily stared at him, then back at Hermione, back and forth again, gaping like a goldfish out of the water. After a while of Lily staring, Regulus dripping and Hermione waiting, the former declared: "I need to sit down."

Hermione helped the pregnant woman onto the living room sofa and asked: "How did you find out?"

Lily breathed in deeply and revealed: "I came up with it." Then, she looked at the other woman and her fiancé and said: "It might make me more comfortable if you took your camouflage off and Black dressed up."

She nodded and turned to Regulus. "There's some shampoo in the second drawer under the sink." she said, smiling apologetically. He nodded and left the two girls to talk.

Hermione turned back to Lily and the latter continued: "I couldn't believe that you were dead." she said. "I knew you'd said you were, but I though you too clever to simply waltz into a trap with Regulus and die."

The other nodded. "Just like you, in some ways."

The redhead smiled. "At first I thought you were grief stricken because Regulus had died and you'd failed, but when I saw both of you in disguise yester day… Something clicked." She looked up at her friend, her eyes full of tears. "I couldn't believe it at first, but then…"

Hermione stroked Lily's cheek soothingly. "Then what?" she whispered.

"Then I realised that you'd just ditched us. I know life was hard for you, what with Mary dying, Remus heartbroken, James and I having a happy life and Sirius pressuring you to have yours… But I didn't think that you'd ditch us willingly until then." she confessed.

Hermione sat down next to the crying Lily and pulled her into her arms. "I never ditched you." she said.

"Really?" the redhead asked sarcastically. "You know, for a while I even thought that you were so good with Regulus that he'd turned you into a Death Eater. Maybe I wasn't wrong."

Hermione held her friend at arms' length, offended. "How could you believe such a thing?" she asked. "I would never do that, just like I wouldn't ditch you!"

"Oh, yeah?" Lily asked. "What _did _you do, then? You certainly didn't plan to come back, or let us know about your secret identity."

Hermione shook her head. "The thing is, Lily." She sighed. "Regulus and I had a relationship. Then we broke up, and I was determined to get over him. I planned on having a life with Sirius, joining the Order and stuff like that, to make me forget."

"So you used him." Lily said. "Sirius, I mean."

She sighed again. "Yes, I did." she admitted. "The point is, I acquired quite a bit of… _information_, in my time with the Order. I didn't want anyone to know. The consequences would have been disastrous. Then I got that message from Regulus."

Lily inhaled slowly. "The one where he tells you he loves you." It wasn't a question.

Hermione nodded. "Yes." she said. "That one. In any case, I saved him, admitted my feelings for him, and we went back to Hogwarts. Dumbledore agreed that we should have secret identities, at least for the time being, so I could avoid divulging any information, and he would avoid getting caught by Lord Voldemort."

Lily cringed at the sound of the name. "Who knows?" she asked.

"About me and Regulus?" The redhead nodded. "You. Me. Regulus. Dumbledore… Snape."

"_Snape?_" Lily shrieked in disbelief. "He's a slimy git who can't be trusted! Why?"

The other witch sighed. "He's Regulus' best friend, and I believe he _can_, in fact, be trusted."

The pregnant woman gave a very unladylike snort. "So he can tell his best friend, but you can't? That's not the Hermione I know."

"You would have told." The brunette declared. "You would have told James, Remus, Sirius and Peter, at the very least."

"So?" Lily asked. "What wrong with them?"

Hermione sighed. "I don't trust Peter." she admitted bluntly.

Lily shook her head. "So you trust an arsehole like Snape, but not my husband's best friend."

"Yes." Hermione said bluntly. "He's James' best friend, which makes him automatically invulnerable and invincible."

Lily stared at her. "I can tell James, Remus and Sirius, then?"

Hermione thought about it for a couple of instants before she shook her head. Lily was about to argue but she cut her. "I'd rather do it myself… They need to understand."

Lily nodded. "So that's it, then?" she asked. "You're not going to be my daughter's Godmother?"

Hermione laughed slightly. "I doubt it's going to be a girl, Lily."

The other witch frowned. "You're just like James. Always trying to ruin my dreams."

Hermione's eyebrows shot up. "Would it be so bad to have a son?"

Lily shook her head. "No, but it would prove James right… And I'd owe him ten Sickles."

Hermione laughed.

"How about you?" Lily asked. "You're trying to live a happy life now, so any baby coming?"

Hermione shook her head. "Nope… I'm not sure we're ready yet… At least, I'm not. We are getting married, though." she admitted.

"Ooooh!" Lily gushed. "That's wonderful news!"

Hermione smiled. "You can be Maid of Honour, if you want."

They talked about the wedding for a few more minutes before Lily declared: "You could tell them tomorrow."

The brunette cringed. "Isn't that a little early?"

The other shook her head. "I can't keep a secret more than a few hours, anyway. It's going to be hard enough to do it for a night."

Hermione sighed. "I can't Obliviate you, either?"

Lily shook her head, grinning. "Nope. You're stuck with tomorrow."

Something popped up in Hermione's head. "Wait a second!" she cried out. "Tomorrow is Sirius' birthday!"

Lily though about it. "Oh, yeah." she said, before shrugging. "You'll just have to crash the party at our place."

"I can't tell him." she said.

Lily looked up. "Why?" she asked.

Hermione shook her head. "Imagine how he'd take my betrayal… And now imagine how I'd feel… I can't do it."

Lily rolled her eyes. "Fine, come in disguise, then." She looked at her watch. "Christ!" she called out, standing up and running to the door. "I'm late! Sorry 'Mione, but, I have to go!" She wrenched the door open and stepped through. "Tomorrow, nine PM sharp!"

Then the door slammed.

Regulus stepped out of the bathroom then, his hair damp and wearing a pair of faded blue jeans. "So?" he asked. "How did it go?"

She sighed and walked to her desk, returning to her grading. "Let's just say I'm going to have a lot more explaining to do tomorrow a about nine PM."

Regulus looked puzzled. "If you're gonna miss class, why are you still grading?"

She thought about it and asked: "You really want this shower sex, don't you?"

He grinned. "If you're up to it." he taunted.

She put her quill down and declared: "I'm always up for a challenge."

-o-O-o-

Sirius was in Godric's Hollow's cemetery.

He was just standing there, his hands shoved down deep in his cloak pockets as some, although rather few, tears poured down his cheeks. He shouldn't cry on his birthday, and he knew it, but he just couldn't help it.

It moved him, that huge piece of marble, elevated like a grandiose tombstone, with his ex-fiancée's name written at the very top:

_**For all of those who died to make the world a better place:**_

_Hermione Jean Granger_

_17__th__ September 1960- 24__th__ December 1979_

_Beloved friend and lover_

'_Words can't say what love can do.' Bon Jovi, I'll be there for you_

Her favourite band. He smiled slightly. He'd taken her to a Bon Jovi concert for their anniversary. That was when he'd mistakenly thought that the singer was a wizard…

He had to admit, he liked this band too. He'd even planned on singing '_I'll be there for you_' at their wedding… But she'd just chosen another path. It was _her_ good path.

Now he just needed to find his. His right path.

Sniffling slightly, he wiped his eyes and nose on his sleeve and walked out of the cemetery. At first, he'd been devastated by her death, but the more he thought about it, the more her realised it was all for the better.

He'd loved her, that was true, but she'd chosen to die, and although it was unfair to him, Lily, Remus, James and all those who'd loved her, she'd died happy. She hadn't loved him anyway. He realised that now. It had always been Regulus.

He felt slightly bitter at her for using him, but, as he waked back to the Potters', he knew he'd have done the same. He needed to move on, now, go back to his life and work, and be Sirius again. Who knew, maybe he'd even ask Stella on a date.

The idea made him smile. What wouldn't he give to see Hershel's face if he ever stole his fiancée… Like Regulus stole his.

Funny as that could sound, Sirius didn't hate his brother for taking Hermione away from him. After all, all both of them had ever wanted was to make her happy… Neither had particularly succeeded in the first place, but both had done a pretty good job in the end. Sirius, by letting her go, albeit reluctantly and without his knowing, and Regulus, for being there for the rest of her life.

And so it was without remorse or regret that he walked inside James' new house. Unsurprisingly, confetti rained on his head as he passed the doorstep, and cheers of "_Happy birthday, you mangy mutt!_" echoed around the room.

He laughed and followed his friends to the dining room, where a huge cake, probably full of cream and other fat stuff, awaited him. "Lily," he scolded. "You shouldn't have."

She shrugged. "Well I did." she said. "We've got one person missing, though, so don't blow all twenty candles now."

He looked around and noticed Peter was missing. Just as the doorbell rang, he declared: "I'll get it." and ran to the entrance. He opened the door and was met with familiar, _too_ familiar, chocolate brown eyes.

"Happy birthday, Sirius."

-o-O-o-

**I like evil cliff hangers… Please review! At least for Bon Jovi 's quote's sake! **


	35. Sweden and Paris

**Disclaimer:**** Sadly, I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters. Everything belongs to JK Rowling, and I'm merely allowed to play around with them. No copyright infringement is intended.**

_Chapter 35_

-o-O-o-

'_Happy birthday, Sirius._'

His head shot up from his pillow and he looked around the room, panting and drenched in sweat. His bed was still there, so were all his clothes, scattered around the room.

'_A dream._' he thought. '_It was just a dream._'

Thank God for that. Had it really been Hermione… He didn't really what he'd have done. But he was sure of one thing:

I wouldn't have been pretty.

-o-O-o-

James groaned and Remus shook his head.

"It's true!" Lily told them. "Stella will come here and then she'll show you yourself!"

"Lily," Remus said. "We know how hard this has been on you, but if you could just _relax_ a little bit and think about what you're saying, it would really help. Hermione's dead, Lily."

Lily sighed. "Fine. Don't believe me. But when she comes to you and shows you who she really is, you'll be sorry."

As she walked away, James and Remus looked at each other and probably thought the same thing: '_What if she's right?_'

"James! Remus!" they heard her call for the kitchen. Both men hurried over to the only female in the house. "I need you to carry this for me." she said, pointing at a cake that sat on the table.

"That?" James asked, disbelieving. "That probably weighs as much as a dead donkey!"

Lily and Remus rolled their eyes. "James," the latter said. "You are officially stupid." Then, he turned to the cake, brandished his wand and called out: "_Wingardium Leviosa_."

He walked back to the living room and James stared, dumbstruck, as the huge cake followed lead. He turned back to Lily. "Where did he learn that?" he asked.

Lily shook her head in disbelief. "First year, first Charms lesson." she told him.

He smiled. "Oh! That explains everything!" Seeing his wife's puzzled look, he added: "Sirius and I were busy placing bets on who could make Flitwick fall fastest from his pile of books… Unless we weren't there at all, and we were putting Dungbombs under Snivellus' bed…"

Remus came back in, then, and he declared: "The bets on Flitwick were when we learnt Lumos."

"Ah!" James exclaimed. "So we were putting Dungbombs under Snivellus' bed!"

Remus shook his head. "That was much later, around third year, and it was Defence Against the Dark Arts that you missed."

James looked puzzled. "What were we doing the first Charms lesson, then?" The doorbell rang and James' head popped up. "Sirius will know!" he declared, and sprinted to the entrance.

He swung the door open, and his jaw did the same thing. It wasn't Sirius standing there in the doorway, it was Hermione. James mentally slapped himself. '_It's not Hermione, stupid!_' he thought. '_It's Stella!_'

And, sure enough, the silver-haired beauty stood in his doorway, radiant in a long black raincoat, matching the weather outside. She was smiling, but it wasn't a shy smile like the one she had given him the other day. It was a very confident smile, which reminded him very much of…

"Hermione?" Lily asked from behind her.

Her smile faded. She looked around, as if she was sure she was being followed, then whispered: "Could you close the door behind me please?"

James nodded, and as soon as she stepped into the house, he shut the door and sealed it with multiple protection charms. He turned around and noticed that Remus had joined the trio and the rest of the house was now empty. James took her raincoat from her shoulders and hung it in a closet on his right.

Soon, there was nothing else to do and the three friends stared at Stella. She looked up, suddenly unsure of herself, and asked: "So?"

Remus was the first to answer: "Is that really you?" he whispered, so softly it was as if he was thinking it, not daring to say it out loud and not realising that he had.

She sighed. "Yes, it _is_ really me." she admitted.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Remus asked her.

She gulped. "I… I was afraid you might accidentally let something slip if I did…"

Lily half smiled at her. "I bet you didn't expect me to figure out, anyway, did you?"

Hermione allowed herself a dry laugh. "That was the most unexpected thing that could have popped up." she allowed.

Lily smiled and led her to the kitchen, where the four of them sat down. There and then, Hermione recounted all of her story to them. They all listened, even Lily, as she had not heard the full version yet.

At the end, she concluded: "And that was when I had to tell Lily the whole truth."

They stayed silent for a few instants until James asked: "What about Sirius?"

"Hermione raised one of her silver eyebrows at him. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I don't know if you've realised," James said sarcastically. "But he's not here, so are you going to recount the whole story to him or not?"

"I… Well…" she stammered.

"That means no, doesn't it?" he asked, just a bit too harshly for everyone's taste.

Hermione sighed. "I'm sorry James, it's just-"

"Don't tell _me_ you're sorry!" he exclaimed. "Tell Sirius you're sorry you used him, then dumped him and pretended to be dead for months!"

"James I-" she tried, but he cut her again.

"I don't want to hear it! You haven't seen him the way I've seen him. I've seen him lost, disorientated, not sure what to do or when to do it… I've seen him wake up from nightmares at midnight and feeling around, trying to see if you were there, in bed with him or not, and if this was nothing more than just another bad dream. You missed that period of the story, didn't you? Now he's better, and if you want to see him, just go to the cemetery, he's there all day, staring at a monument that has your name on the top."

"James!" Lily yelled. "You are being utterly mean to Hermione, right now. She has had to sacrifice a great deal by staying away from us, and even more by coming back. I'd like you to have a minimum of respect for her and apologise right now!"

James looked down and glared at him fork for a couple of minutes, before sighing and looking up at Hermione, his expression no longer fierce. He opened his mouth to apologise but, just then, the doorbell rang once more.

"Crap!" Hermione swore. "I should just leave out the back door, where is it?" she asked no one I particular.

Lily shook her head. "There is no back door in this house."

"What?" Hermione whisper-yelled. "How the hell am I-"

"Hi guys." a voice came from behind them. Hermione froze and turned around as slowly as she could.

It was Peter.

"What?" he asked as every one was staring at him. Then, he seemed to notice that there was one person too much. "Why, Stella!" he exclaimed, surprised. "I didn't expect to see you here! How are you?"

Hermione snapped back into her character and flashed him a brilliant smile. "I'm fine, how about you?"

He mumbled something intelligible before turning to Remus and asking: "Where's Sirius?"

"He's not here yet." the werewolf answered.

"Oh, dear." Hermione said, pretending to be looking at the time. "I'm sorry for Sirius, but I really must be going! My fiancé is probably looking for me everywhere!" Without waiting to hear their answers, she darted out the door, yelling: "Tell Sirius hi for me!"

As soon as they heard the front door slam, Peter asked: "Wait a minute, since when are you on first name basis with Miss Sinistra?"

James sighed. "You see Peter, Stella is actually-OUCH!"

Lily has just kicked him under the table, and was now glaring at him. "What the…? Peter started, but Lily stood up abruptly and walked to the kitchen.

"I'm sorry, but I'm cooking beans and _I don't want them to spill_." she called out, her voice full of meaning.

Peter shook his head and turned back to James. "You were saying?" he asked.

"Erm…" he said, looking at Remus for help. His friend just shrugged. "I was saying Stella is actually… Swedish!"

Remus face-palmed himself. Peter looked puzzled. "Swedish?" he asked. "What has that got to do with being friends?"

"Erm, well, you see… I lived in Sweden for a while, and so we talked about… Sweden and… Swedish… things?" he stammered. Remus looked like he didn't know whether to laugh or yell at his friend.

Fortunately, Lily called out: "Peter? I need a big strong man to lift this heavy kettle up for me! Can you help please?"

Peter smiled. "Sure thing, Lily!" He left the room.

Remus leaned over the table. "James, what's the capital of Sweden called?"

James cringed. "Paris?"

-o-O-o-

"Paris."

Hermione looked away from the essay she was correcting and turned around to stare at Regulus. "Excuse, I must have missed something." she told him.

He looked up from his book and stared into her eyes. "I was thinking about the honeymoon." he revealed. "I thought Paris might be nice."

"Paris?" she asked. "Why Paris?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe because we both speak enough French to get us by."

She shook her head. "My French is appalling."

He stared at her. "I refuse to believe that I am better than you at something."

She sighed. "Whatever. Whet else? There can't be just that?"

"Well, it's romantic…" he tried.

"If it's the same as in the 90's, then no, it's not." she argued. "Cars everywhere, the noise is unbearable, people sleeping in the streets, the train system is awful…" She shook her head. "Paris is not a romantic place."

Regulus gave a short laugh. "Firstly, I didn't understand half of what you said. Whatever a 'car' or a 'train system is', were not using it. We'll just Apparate."

"But there are still people in the streets and noise!" she said.

He smiled wickedly. "Hermione, if we go on a honeymoon, it's not to walk the streets. We'll be stuck in out hotel room all day long… and probably making more noise than the cars outside."

"But the people…"

"Will be sleeping, and, believe me, we won't." he concluded. They went back to their previous occupations and stayed like that for a couple of minutes, until Regulus declared: "So… Venice, then?"

Hermione moved on o the next paper she was correcting and said: "Nope. Paris sounds just fine."

Neither of them saw it, but both of them were smiling.

-o-O-o-

**Okay, this is supposed to be a long Author's Note about how sorry I am for the long wait, but I don't think anyone is interested in hearing my excuses. In any case, I hope you had a good three months while I was away and you didn't ditch me. :) Also, I'm supposed to be going to an IGCSE exam right now, so I am interrupting much needed revision for you guys, but hey! Nothing is too much for you.**

**In any case, I don't know when the next update will be, but I certainly hope it will be soon enough. :) As always, please review (and forgive)!**


	36. Where Angels Fall

**Disclaimer:**** Sadly, I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters. Everything belongs to JK Rowling, and I'm merely allowed to play around with them. No copyright infringement is intended.**

_Chapter 36_

-o-O-o-

The next month or so passed in a blur. It passed so fast that Hermione found herself hyperventilating at Lily's doorstep, on April 3rd, claiming that she had not yet found her wedding dress.

"_What_?" her friend asked, her hand on her now very large belly. "You haven't found a _dress_?"

"Erm," Hermione stammered. "I haven't actually looked for one yet."

She cringed, waiting for another outburst, but there was none. Lily just sighed. "Let's go then." she declared. They had to take the Floo, but otherwise, everything turned out fine.

"So," Hermione said once they were walking the streets of Diagon Alley. "What's up with your life these days?"

Lily huffed. "You mean apart from the fact that I am six months pregnant, my best friend is getting married and my husband is getting on my nerves?"

"Really?!" Hermione asked, surprised. "James is getting on your nerves?" To tell the truth, James got on almost every one's nerves, but the way  
Lily said it... It implied something more.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Yeah, he keeps going on about 'staying hidden' so as to assure our 'protection' but, really, are we safer in a street full of witnesses or in a house, alone, in the middle of nowhere?"

Hermione had to admit that she had a point. "But won't he be mad at you when he finds out you left today?" she asked.

"Sure he will." Lily shrugged. "But I have leverage over him, so he can't stay mad at me long."

"Leverage?" Hermione was confused.

Lily turned and smiled brightly at her. "Sex, Hermione, sex." she said, as if it explained everything. "I'm in an awful mood all day, so I'm not often up for it, and I can restrain myself much better than he can."

"Ugh!" Hermione scrunched up her nose. "Never mind."

"What?" Lily asked. "Don't you use that when you fight with Reg... I mean, when you fight with Hershel?"

Hermione looked a little bothered. "You see, Lily... Hershel and I don't fight."

Lily looked at her as if she had just seen an alien. "You guys don't fight?"

Hermione shook her head. "Nope. Not since we're together, at least. And I mean the second time."

Lily shook her head. "I don't believe it. Oh, well, it's going to start soon enough, believe me."

Hermione smiled brightly. "Whatever helps you sleep at night."

-o-O-o-

The turncoat was walking through Diagon Alley, trying to clear his head of all the crimes he'd committed, when he heard a familiar voice. "Sex, Hermione, sex." the voice said, before it faded in the background.

He spun around as fast as he could, but didn't see anyone he knew. He started running one way, hoping to catch the person who was speaking, but he didn't go far. Soon enough, he was out of breath and bent over, desperately trying to fill his lungs with air.

He knew that voice. He hated that voice, and he hated the person to whom it belonged to. But that was not what had caught his attention.

The person had said 'Hermione'.

So, Granger was alive, then, eh? But then again, why had she wanted to hide in the first place? Unless...

He smiled.

Unless she had something that she wanted to hide from him, him and his brothers. Now all he needed to do was to find out what. And his master would reward him. His master would reward him beyond his wildest dreams.

He needed to find Hermione Granger, and capture her. But for that, he needed to find the person who was with her. The person who made his blood boil the most when he saw her, whose voice was enough to fill him with rage...

He needed to find Lily Evans.

-o-O-o-

"How's this one?"

"Good..."

"And this one?"

"Okay..."

"How about this?"

"Hmm..."

"And that one, do you like that one?"

"..."

When Lily heard no answer from behind her, she turned around, only to find that Hermione was fast asleep in a plush armchair, seemingly bored with all these wedding dresses. Lily huffed and walked over to her friend, poking her harshly in the rib. Hermione groaned and popped an eye open.

Lily glared at her. "Do you want to marry in rags or what?"

"Maybe..." Hermione mumbled, closing her eye once more.

Lily stared at her. "What?" she demanded. "What am I going to look like if I don't have an appropriate bridesmaid dress?"

"I don't care."

Lily rolled her eyes. "You should." she told her friend.

Hermione sighed and sat up. "Fine. What should I wear?"

Lily thrust a dress into her arms and pointed to a changing room. "You go try this on right now, while I look for another one."

"But if you're going to look for another one, what's the use of me trying this one on?" Hermione complained.

Lily glared at her again. "If you don't do as I say, I'm going to kill you."

Hermione scowled. "What more could you do to humiliate me?" she asked.

Lily smiled. "How about... I do your hair and your make up on the big day?"

Hermione's eyes narrowed. "You wouldn't." she hissed.

Lily smiled again. "Try me."

-o-O-o-

_I'm gonna die._

_I'm gonna die._

_I'm gonna die._

"Hermione, stop stressing, I swear I can hear you heartbeat racing from here." Lily scolded, pulling a strand of hair to pin it artfully against her temple.

"I can't believe this is happening." she said. "I'm going to be sick."

Lily scowled. "You'd better not, because I'm not cleaning your dress. You'd have to marry dirty and smelling like puke. Then I'd look beautiful next to you."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "You'd look beautiful next to me no matter what, anyway."

"Nonsense, Hermione. Not with the make-up that I am going to plaster on your face, anyway." she smiled.

Hermione's eyes widened. "You're not going to put _too_ much, are you?" she asked, obviously worried.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Of course not. I'm going to put _just_ enough."

"You're scary when you're pregnant."

"You'll be the same."

Hermione gulped. "I... won't be..." she croaked, her voice becoming thick.

Lily raised an eyebrow. "Won't you?"

"No." Hermione sighed.

"Why not?" Lily asked. "Is it Regulus? Doesn't he want it?"

"No, no, it's not him..." Hermione amended. "It's me."

Lily froze. "You're not... Hermione, you're not barren, are you?" she whispered, as if afraid to hear the answer.

She shook her head. "No, but it's... It's complicated."

Lily didn't resume doing Hermione's hair. "You're still hiding stuff from me, aren't you?" she asked icily.

The time-traveller sighed. "I'm sorry."

Lily pulled at Hermione's hair, maybe a little bit too harshly, because her friend winced. "Whatever." Lily huffed. "I just thought that, after everything our friendship has been through, you, at least, would understand that I need someone that I can trust, and who will trust me back."

"I trust you Lily." she whispered almost inaudibly.

"Really?" the red-head huffed. "Then why don't you tell me everything?"

"It's not a question of trust." she explained. "It's a question of what's right and what's wrong. I can't tell you everything, because... It might get the whole world in danger."

Lily snorted. "The whole world? I'd bet it's just the mundane British countryside you mean."

"It's still a lot." the bride-to-be answered.

They were silent for a couple of minutes until Lily asked. "How about Regulus?"

"What about him?" her friend retorted, not liking the way this conversation was heading.

"Do you trust him?"

"With my life." she answered immediately.

Lily gave a small smile away. "Did you tell him everything?"

Hermione thought about it for a while. She had told him much, much more than she had most people, just about as much as Dumbledore knew. But had she really told him everything?

She sighed. "No." she gave in finally.

Fortunately, Lily didn't press the subject any further. "Well," she said after a couple of minutes. "You're all done! Now's my turn to prepare."

Hermione groaned. "I am never going through all this trouble again." she said.

Lily laughed. "Hopefully you'll only need to get married once."

-o-O-o-

Regulus was fidgeting.

He hated to admit it, but he was nervous.

Severus stood by his left, sitting on a side of the aisle, while the groom himself had to stand, waiting for his future wife. Fidgeting. Once in a while he tapped his foot, or twisted a button on his sleeve, gave his wand a swish and fidgeted.

"What time is it?" he asked to no one in particular.

"You know, Black," Severus drawled. "Time doesn't change all that much every three seconds."

His friend glared at him and resumed his fidgeting.

On the other side of the aisle, Remus and James sat, equally bored. "Ugh!" James said, running his hand through his hair. "This is so long!" he turned to his friend. "Why are we here that early anyway?"

Remus shrugged. "You didn't want to let Lily out of your sight, and I wanted to go to Hogwarts." he answered.

James scowled. "I'm bored." he declared. They stayed like that for a while until he stood up abruptly, almost knocking his bench backwards. "Soup!" he yelled.

"What?" Remus asked, very surprised.

"First year, first Charms lesson!" James yelled again. "We were flooding the kitchens with soup!"

Remus sighed. "You really have to find something to do with your life, James."

James was about to retort that he was almost a father, starting responsible family life and all, but then, Dumbledore waltzed in, soon followed by Hermione.

Regulus gulped. She was dressed in a floor length white dress, which hugged her curves until her hips, and then fluttered around her legs so as to allow her some mobility. Her bare arms were folded against her stomach and holding a bouquet of white roses. Her hair was pinned around her temples, but the rest flowed down her back in smooth, chocolate curls, bringing out her eyes. Her makeup seemed light, with only a little of bronze eye shadow to emphasise their beautiful brown colour.

She looked like fallen angel.

She walked down the aisle, while Lily had done some march in front of her, but Regulus had not noticed. All he saw was Hermione. She was more beautiful than he'd ever seen her be, and that was saying something. '_She gets more beautiful every day._' he thought, amazed.

She went to stand next to him and they both faced a smiling Dumbledore. "We are gathered here, today, in the Great Hall of Hogwarts," he started, but the couple wasn't listening. Even so, the Headmaster continued. "To celebrate the union of these two people."

"Reagulus Arcturus Black, will you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, promise to care for her, love her and cherish her, 'til death does you apart?" he asked the young man.

Regulus was stiff as he answered: "I do."

Dumbledore nodded and turned to Hermione. "And do you, Hermione Jean Granger, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, promise to care for him, love him and cherish him, 'til death does you apart?"

Her voice was thick as she tried to restrain herself from crying. "I do." she declared.

Dumbledore smiled brightly. "Then I now pronounce you husband and wife." He looked at Regulus, an amused glint in his eye. "You may now kiss the bride."

Finally smiling, Regulus pulled Hermione into his arms and kissed her. And what a kiss it was! It was like they had never kissed before. Everything felt so brand new, so marvellous, and so very, very _perfect_. This kiss promised so much, only beautiful things too, and, for a couple of seconds, Hermione forgot about Voldemort, about time travelling, about all her problems of trust, her timeline... She forgot about everything but Regulus, and the fact that he was there, with her, and he was never letting go.

And, for the first time since Cedric Diggory had died, Hermione felt _safe_.

-o-O-o-

**Well, that wasn't too horrible, was it? I'm just kidding, I know it was awful. In any case, I'm glad I managed to update this fast, and I have my boss to thank for that. She's just way too busy at the moment, so she forgets to give me work to do, and so I end up writing this story. Next chapter should be the long-awaited wedding night and honeymoon, so don't worry.**

**Some of you might be sad, but there only, like, seven chapters left to this story, and an epilogue... I think. But that's just because I'm going to write a sequel, called 'The Wrong Way', about the story from Harry's first year at Hogwarts until the very end.**


	37. Waves of Sweet Fire

**Disclaimer:**** Sadly, I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters. Everything belongs to JK Rowling, and I'm merely allowed to play around with them. No copyright infringement is intended. Also, I don't own the song, it's 'Always', by Bon Jovi. **

_Chapter 37_

-o-O-o-

They had to break apart, of course; otherwise both of them would have ended up dead with asphyxia. In any case, when they did, five people were clapping, although only two were doing so very enthusiastically, Dumbledore and Lily.

Severus was doing his best not to look too bored, and, although he was very happy for his friend, he didn't think it was that big of a deal. Remus was happy for Hermione, but he was still slightly bitter that she had ditched Sirius, much like James thought. Only, James was also annoyed at Lily for making him wait so long.

In any case, the happy couple now headed towards the teacher's table, ready to have their wedding feast. Once their stomachs were partly full, the boys began to have a brightening mood, which would have suited Hermione just fine, if it weren't for all the jokes.

"... and that's when the goblin goes 'That sounds very queer!'" James declared, chortling with laughter.

Dumbledore chuckled slightly and Remus smiled, but nobody else laughed at the joke.

James seemed to realise that and quickly became serious... no pun intended. He pouted. "This wedding would be much more fun if Sirius was here." he mumbled. Then his face lit up. "I know, I'm going to do what Sirius would have done!"

Lily looked worried. "James, honey, I'm not sure-" she started, but her husband cut her.

"Sirius would have done two things, the first one being a speech." he said. Half the people in the room mentally face-palmed themselves. "So, Regulus and Hermione." he started. "I guess you guys make a good couple. Not as good as Lily and I, mind you, but still..."

Hermione glared at him.

"I always knew Lily was crazy, but she definitely scared me when she told me she was sure Stella was actually Hermione in disguise... I was on the brink of driving her to St. Mungo's."

Lily glared at him.

He continued nonetheless. "Then when I learnt that it was true, I almost died!"

"Too bad you didn't." Severus mumbled.

"But then again, I guess that could have been expected." he said. "After all, Hermione is completely crazy, and Regulus is even more bonkers than his brother!"

Regulus glared at him.

"But, then again, this is like chemistry! You take one crazy boy and one crazy girl, and then this crazy thing happens and this crazy thing is called-"

"Love." Lily finished for him, a small smile on her lips.

James shrugged. "I was going to say 'crazy sex', but love works just fine." he admitted. He raised his glass. "To love!" he declared.

"To love!" the others chorused, and the rest of the feast went without any hitch.

That was, at least, until James remembered why he had made the speech in the first place.

"The second thing Sirius would have done," he declared after a couple glasses of champagne. "Is sing some stupid Bon Jovi love song and declared that all of you must dance!"

Before anyone could protest, he stood up and, pulling his wand out, muttered a _Sonorus_ charm and summoned enchanted musical instruments. At first, there was only a piano playing, and then James started singing:

"_This Romeo is bleeding, but you can't see his blood."_

Hermione wanted to die, right now, at this very moment.

"_It's nothing but some feelings that this old dog kicked up."_

It was so humiliating. She looked around, and noticed, relieved, that Remus and Lily sported a look that was similar to the one that must have been plastered on her face.

"_It's been raining since you left me, now I'm drowning, in the flood._

_You see I've always been a fighter, but without you, I give up."_

He had a nice voice, she could give him that, and that song was beautiful, but still. Regulus leaned in and whispered in her ear: "Care to dance, Mrs. Black?"

She shivered as she heard her new name come from his mouth. It felt strange, but it was still pleasant. She turned to face him. "Really?" she asked.

He smiled and James continued singing: "_Now I can't sing a love song, like the way it's meant to be,_

_Well I guess I'm not that good anymore, but baby that's just me."_

Regulus stood up and took his wife's hand, pulling her up with him, and they started dancing, just as the chorus began.

"_And I will love you, baby, always," _James sang passionately, while Lily's eyes softened.

Regulus placed his head above Hermione's hair and she leaned into his chest, breathing deeply. "I will, you know." he whispered.

"You'll what?" she asked, listening to his heartbeat.

She felt him smile against her hair. "Love you always, baby." he declared.

She looked up to him. "So will I, I promise."

He leaned down and kissed her softly, just a small peck, and James continued: "_Now your picture's there, you left behind_

_All these memories, from a different life, _

_Some that made us laugh, some that made us cry,_

_One that made you, have to say goodbye."_

"Yeah," Regulus gave a short laugh, without humour. "That sounds like us."

"None of it matters now." Hermione told him. "I love you, we're together, and I don't care about anything."

"_I've made mistakes, I'm just a man."_

"This song is depressive." Regulus moaned.

Hermione smiled. "I like it."

His eyes narrowed. "Aren't you a little bit sadistic?" he asked.

She still smiled. "Maybe."

He pressed her tighter to his chest. "I should teach you a lesson."

She bit her lip. "You probably should, _Professor_."

"_And I will love you, baby, always,"_

He kissed her again. This time, it wasn't a short kiss. It was something lasting, one that lingered on while their bodies stopped dancing and their lips moulded into the others', full of promise of the night to come. Hermione's hands found their way up and knotted into Regulus' silky hair, while his massaged the small of her back, and she moaned.

They didn't know how long they stayed that way, but soon enough, James was singing after a guitar solo:

"_We could pack our bottle dreams and our own lives,_

_We'll find a place, where the sun still shines."_

"We should go." Regulus told her when they finally broke apart. Hermione, rather breathless, could only nod in agreement.

"_I'll be there 'til the stars don't shine,_

'_Til the heavens burst, and the words don't rhyme"_

Then, as if deciding something out of nowhere, he pulled her against him as hard as he could, and sang the last few lines in her ear.

"_Although when I die, you'll be on my mind and I'll love you always._

_Always."_

She felt something wet in her hair line and, when he let her go, he noticed that a single tear had fallen from his marvellous grey eyes.

Lily had walked over to then, brandishing an ancient-looking camera. "I took a couple of pictures while you weren't looking." she said, sounding proud with herself.

"Lily!" Hermione scolded her gently.

"I don't want to hear about it!" she said. "Anyway, now's the time for the really big picture."

Brandishing her camera, she began to one of the things she did best: order people around.

"Remus, why don't you stand there... on Severus' left... That's right. Now, James, why don't you go on Hermione's right... uh huh... Professor, could you stand next to James please? Leaving some space so that I can be in the middle... Thank you. Now," she said, and started fiddling with her camera. "Okay!" she said suddenly. "We have ten seconds!" she said, placed it on a table and ran to the group of friends, waiting.

She placed herself between Dumbledore and James, leaning on the latter, and everybody smiled. The camera flashed and Regulus bent down to peck Hermione on the lips, while Lily went to retrieve the camera.

She walked over to where the newlywed couple was standing and handed them the camera. "Here." she said. "I took the film out, but you can have it. Think of it as a wedding gift." The red-head smiled.

Hermione gulped, tears starting to brim her eyes. She quickly rubbed them off, and took the camera from Lily's delicate hands. "Thanks you." she said, although her voice was barely more than a whisper.

Lily gave her a watery smile, and then flung herself in only remaining female friend's arms. "Don't forget us, okay?" she pleaded.

Hermione hugged her back, tightly. "I won't. I promise. Besides," she said, pulling away. "We won't be gone for long."

Lily sobbed. "You don't know what can happen in such a short period of time." she said. And Hermione could only agree.

-o-O-o-

Hermione and Regulus stood in the Headmaster's office, waving their friends goodbye as green flames sprouted up in the chimney. They stepped inside and Regulus called out "Napoleon hotel, Paris, France".

As Hermione and Regulus stepped out from the grand chimney of the arrival room, they were not, as the former had expected, covered in soot. In fact, they were as clean when they arrived as when they had left.

They stepped out and were met with a witch wearing a very formal-looking deep purple cloak, who asked them: "Mr. and Mrs. Black, I assume."

Regulus nodded. "You assume correctly." he told her.

She spun around and stalked out of the room, with a little: "Follow me."

The happy couple did as they were told, and soon found themselves in an elevator, while the woman gave them a golden key.

"Your suite is on the 53rd floor." she told them. "Just turn your key into the place where your level is written and twist, and the elevator will immediately take you there."

"Thank you." Hermione said warmly.

The old woman's mouth went up a little in a corner, but quickly went back to its usual stiff line. The elevator door closed in front of her, and soon, Hermione was swept up by a pair of strong arms.

"Oh!" she said in surprise. Regulus was smiling. "What are you doing?" she asked him.

He shrugged. "Isn't it what newlyweds are supposed to do?" he asked. "The man carrying the woman through the threshold?"

Hermione blushed. She hadn't thought of that. Seeing that she wasn't going to answer, Regulus put the key in the lock and twisted. Immediately, the elevator started moving, at a slow pace. A much too slow pace for both of them.

Hermione stared at the indicator which showed the different stories they were passing, wishing she could make the red numbers move faster.

_23... 24... 25..._

Regulus' heartbeat was accelerating, going so fast that the only thing he could hear was his blood pounding in his temples.

_30... 31... 32..._

A thrill went through Hermione's body, like some electric shock that made her burn with need. Need for him... And he was so close.

_37... 38... 39..._

Regulus couldn't take it anymore. It was pure torture to have her body so close and wanting, _needing_, him like he needed her.

_44... 45... 46..._

They were both there, almost whimpering with all these sensations they felt, these strings that pulled them together. Sweat beaded on their foreheads, but neither wanted to look at the other so as not to break.

_51... 52... 53._

A small _ding_ went off and the elevator door opened. Barely taking the time to remove the key from the keyhole, Regulus nearly hopped over the small golden bar that separated the suite from the elevator and kissed his wife as enthusiastically as he could.

She responded eagerly, wrapping her arms around his neck in a desperate attempt to pull him closer. He started walking, then, but she didn't care about where he was taking her. Suddenly her back was against something hard and cold, and she realised it was a wall.

Regulus pulled away, taking in one gasping breath, and said: "Take you clothes off."

His tone was so commanding that she did as she was told, kicking off her shoes and stepping down onto the floor. She reached behind her back to undo the zipper, but it turned out to be stuck. "Ugh!" she groaned, frustrated. "I can't undo this!"

Wordlessly, he spun her around so that her face was against the wall and took hold of the tiny metal piece, giving it a hard tug. There was a loud ripping sound and cold air hit Hermione squarely in the back, making her shiver. She was about to complain but Regulus spun her around again, brushing her shoulders so that the remains of her dress pooled don at her feet.

He pulled her close to him so that she was once more warm, and bent in for another kiss. During this kiss, she managed to undo the buttons of his shirt and push it off his shoulders as he took his own shoes and socks off. He reached out a hand to grab her buttocks and slip her stockings off, making her feel even warmer. Regulus' belt and pants soon followed, along with Hermione's bra and underwear.

He pulled her up so that she could hook her legs around his waist, and bent down to kiss her collarbone. She gave a moan and he smiled against her creamy skin, his hands splaying against her stomach. "Wait!" she called out, breathless. He ignored her and shrugged out of his boxers.

With one hand under her buttocks to stop her from falling and the other against the wall, by her head, he pressed his length against her core. Stroking her with one hand as if to warn her about what was going to happen, he entered her in one swift stroke.

She gasped, but it quickly turned into a moan and he took that as his leave to continue. Her arms were wrapped tightly behind his back and she gasped out: "Must... get to... bed..."

Regulus gave a short laugh. "I told you I'd teach you a lesson, didn't I?" he asked her.

"Yes..." she sighed, but probably not as an answer to his rhetorical question. She dug her mails into his shoulders and gasped with every thrust, while he grit his teeth together at the mixture of pleasure and pain he was feeling.

She could hear his heavy pants in her left ear as he bucked restlessly against her, and that was enough to make her throw herself over the edge. She gasped and called out his name, again and again, while she clung on to him like a shellfish to a rock. He, too, gave a loud groan as he whispered her name into her ear and spent himself inside of her.

Exhausted, they slumped down onto the ground in a mess of sweaty and tangled limbs, both of them panting. Regulus tried to kiss Hermione's cheek, but she turned away, biting her lips as if trying not to cry. "Hermione?" he asked, confused.

She gave a short sob. "Why did you do that, Regulus?" she asked.

He was seriously puzzled now. "What?"

She sniffed a bit. "When I came, I screamed it out to the world, and you... You just whispered." she explained.

He gave her a sweet smile as he understood and tucked a sweaty strand of hair behind her ear. "I did scream it out to the world." he told her.

She shook her head. "You just whispered it to me." she contradicted him. "As if you didn't want anyone else to know."

"Hermione baby," he confessed. "You are my world."

And nothing more needed to be said.

-o-O-o-

**Yay! I kept my promise! Please tell me how you feel about this, because I wasn't sure about how to write it... Anyway, feedback is just totally awesome anyway, so, please review! :)**


	38. Greet the Dawn

**Disclaimer:**** Sadly, I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters. Everything belongs to JK Rowling, and I'm merely allowed to play around with them. No copyright infringement is intended.**

_Chapter 38_

-o-O-o-

The sun hit Regulus squarely in the chest one morning. It was warm and it felt rather nice, but what felt even nicer was the small and even warmer naked body that was pressed tightly against his chest. Yes, Hermione definitely felt nice.

It felt like he would never get tired of waking up next to her. Every morning since the beginning of their extended honeymoon, he would wake up before her, whisper sweet words to her to wake her up; they would make love, have breakfast in bed, and then plan what they were going to do for the rest of the day.

Lily's camera had proven to be quite useful. They had taken quite a bit of pictures in front of the Eiffel Tower, the _Arc de __Triomphe_, up the _Champs __Elysées_… and having a lot of fun.

Dumbledore had allowed them to go on extended vacation, so now, they were in the middle of summer, though they weren't quite sure when. However, the exact date was going to come back to Hermione very soon.

Regulus stroked her shoulder gently, with just the tip of his fingers, and she squirmed lightly under his touch. Her squirming woke up a very special part of Regulus' anatomy, and he sighed contentedly. He wrapped an arm around her waist and bent forward to kiss her shoulder, pressing his length into her back.

Hermione, still only half awake, moaned a little at her husband's ministrations, and squirmed some more. He pulled her closer, just so that he could half whisper, half pant in her ear: "Hermione." He started to rub himself against her in a desperate attempt to get some friction, and the while holding her close with that arm that was wrapped tightly around her, like a coiled snake.

Now that she had regained enough consciousness to grasp the situation, Hermione rolled onto her stomach and propped herself up on her elbows, allowing her husband to roam his hands on her body as a preparation.

Then they heard a tap.

Hermione looked to her left, and saw an owl waiting impatiently on the windowsill, a piece of parchment attached to one of its hind legs. "Regulus…" she tried, but he wasn't listening.

"Fuck it." he growled, trying to prop her up so that he could enter her properly. His hard length rubbing against her was very distracting, but not enough to make her forget about that owl.

"Regulus!" she tried again but this time, louder.

With a loud groan, he pulled away from her and stood up, pulling a robe on, to open the window. The owl fluttered in, in a sea of flying feathers, and plopped down in front of Hermione, poking a leg out. Smiling, the young woman pulled the letter off and opened it. Then she froze.

"What?" Regulus asked, slightly bitterly.

"Oh my God." she said, covering her mouth with her hand.

"What is it?" he asked again, this time with a little worry.

She didn't answer and just stood up as quickly as possible, throwing random clothes on and kicking some at Regulus.

"Hermione, what happened?" he asked.

"It's Lily," she answered, flinging him a shirt that had been lying around. "She's having her baby."

-o-O-o-

James was pacing.

Remus was counting his paces.

Both were stressed. James had been woken up in the dead of the night (which means six o'clock to him) by Lily screaming that she needed a doctor. After having called Remus over and fainting a few times, they had managed to get her to St Mungo's, where she had been locked up for the last six hours. So, of course, both were stressed.

Suddenly, Hermione, in disguise, barged into the corridor, soon followed by Regulus, also in disguise. "Where is she?" she demanded of the boys.

James, already pretty pissed because he had not eaten since the last night, barked out at her: "You shut up!"

Hermione glared at him. "What do mean 'shut up!'? You shut up! I asked you where she was!" she hissed.

"You have to choose, either I shut up or I tell you where she is!" he shouted.

"Then tell me where the fuck she is, you dumbass!" she shouted back.

"No, idiot! Don't you understand the meaning of 'shut up'?" he answered.

"Hey!" Regulus yelled. "That's my wife you're talking to here!"

"Oh yeah?" James asked, his glasses slipping slightly from his nose. "Well _my_ wife is stuck in some hospital room giving birth to my son, at the moment..."

"I don't care!" Regulus answered.

"You would if it was her screaming in pain for the last six hours!" James retorted. "Although maybe you won't, you cold hearted monster!"

"That's my husband you're screaming at, here!" Hermione defended Regulus.

Remus stood up. "If husbands and wives would all _shut up_, maybe we celibates could hear ourselves think in here!" he shouted.

Then the doors opened and Sirius stepped in, looking awfully dishevelled as he asked: "Did I miss something?"

He was about to get yelled at by the four other people in the corridor when a Mediwitch opened the door to the room in front of them and called happily out: "It's a boy!"

Then an awkward silence fell.

-o-O-o-

"Who's that? Who's that? That's your uncle Sirius!" Sirius cooed at the tiny baby in his hands.

He was cute, everybody had to admit that. He had a small tuft of jet black hair, midnight blue eyes and tiny hand constantly gripped into fists, as if he wanted to fight. He was now enjoying the attention he was getting for the first few hours of his life. He watched in amazement as Sirius disappeared behind his hands and reappeared all over sudden, just like magic.

"Peek-a-boo!" Sirius said, and Harry stared in awe.

Lily smiled. "Sirius, you've been playing with him for the past two hours." she scolded him gently, her eyes looking exhausted. "Let somebody else have a go."

He pouted at her. "But I'm his godfather..." he whimpered.

She rolled her eyes. "Let Stella have a try. I'm sure she'd like that." She cast a knowing glance at Hermione, who blushed.

Reluctantly, he passed the little baby over to the silver-haired beauty. She cradled him into her arms, and he stared up at this new face in wonder. She gave a short laugh. "What?" James asked, slightly panicky.

"Nothing, it's just..." she smiled. "He has a look of perpetual shock on his face. It's funny." She looked up at the baby's father. "He looks a lot like you, James." she admitted.

He looked confused. "Am I perpetually shocked?" he asked, and she smiled.

"Almost," she admitted. "But he has your hair." Then, just to tease him, she added: "But he's silent. Like Lily."

The concerned witch gave a small tinkling laugh. "He's perfect." she said.

Regulus bent down and whispered in Hermione's ear: "You're perfect."

She gave a small smile and turned around to peck him slowly on the lips. Sirius frowned. "Anyway," he said loudly, clapping his hands together. Hermione jumped a little, but Harry didn't budge. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm hungry."

James frowned at his best friend. "If you want to go, go alone. Peter is about to arrive."

Hermione froze. "You know what, Sirius?" she said, turning to look at him, forcing a smile on her face. "I guess I'll come with you."

He looked surprised, but happy enough. "Okay," he agreed jovially.

She smiled back at him, handed Harry back to his father and both headed outside. Once in the corridor, Sirius shoved his hands deep down his pocket and grinned wildly, as Hermione rolled her eyes. He couldn't stop being hopeful, could he?

They took the elevator to the highest floor, where there was a Muggle contraption that enabled them to order sandwiches simply by putting money inside and pressing a couple of buttons.

Sirius took a triple cheese, and Hermione a vegetarian, ordering one with ham and tomatoes for Regulus. They sat down to eat their sandwiches, and once they had finished, Hermione had run out of inconspicuous things to do. Fortunately, Sirius was in a talkative mood.

"-and then James gave me a high five and we started running!" he finished.

"Wow." she said, smiling. "You and James were the real troublemakers when you were kids."

"We still are." he winked. "I mean, James does get Lily's knickers in a bunch on a daily basis."

She laughed. "I guess." she amended.

"How about you?" he asked. "Peter told me you were Swedish. Apparently James lived in Sweden for a bit and that's you and Lily became friends."

Hermione cursed James in her head. "Sure." she said. "I lived near Stockholm. I liked it but… The weather wasn't too good." She winced theatrically.

He laughed. "This is why you came to Britain, then?"

"Yep." she answered, not sure what else to say. "That's where I met Hershel." she added.

"Oh." Sirius frowned. "He's British, then?"

"Exactly."

"You guys are fiancées, right?"

"Married, now." she corrected him.

"Oh." he said again, his frown deepening. "Aren't you concerned by the age difference?"

Hermione laughed inside her head. If only he knew that she was the oldest one in this relationship! "It doesn't bother me." she amended.

"But Stella," he whispered, leaning over the table to stare straight into her eyes. "You could do so much better."

She smiled. "That's the thing, Sirius." she whispered too. "I don't want better. I want him."

He arched an eyebrow. "You sure?" he asked.

Her smile widened. "Definitely."

He leaned back and smirked. "Oh, well," he gave in. "At least I gave it a try."

She shrugged. "Sorry."

"How about kids?" he asked.

"Excuse me?" she asked, not quite getting where he was heading.

"I don't know." he admitted. "Will you have kids with him? I mean, I certainly could offer more than he could. For example, good looks!" He gestured towards himself, and she laughed.

"You know what your problem is, Sirius?" she asked, ignoring his question. "You're unaware of the situations that you get yourself into, and you act before you think." Seeing his shocked look, she continued. "Thoughtless but kind, caring but blind… You're not for me." She stood up. "I'm sorry." she told him, and walked out.

She headed back to Lily's room, but, as she opened the door, she was surprised to see that Regulus wasn't there. When she asked, Lily answered: "He said he was going back to unpack."

Hermione had just kissed Harry's head, said goodbye and left the hospital.

-o-O-o-

When Hermione arrived at her and Regulus' quarters at Hogwarts, she called out: "Honey?"

Apparently, he had been thoughtful, for all their bags were back. However, the place did smell like it had been closed up too long, which is exactly what she had been expecting.

"Regulus, baby?" she called out again, and there was still no answer. She started to explore their apartment, and only when she opened the bathroom door did she find him.

He was bent over the sink, breathing heavily, almost panting. He had taken his disguise off and was shirtless, and was gripping the edges of the white porcelain bowl with all his strength. Red drops were falling inside it and, upon a closer look, Hermione noticed that it was his nose that was bleeding.

"Regulus?" she whispered, horrified.

He turned to face her slowly, his face waxy pale and his eyes dead, a thin sheen of sweat covering his forehead. "He called." he explained, his voice hoarse.

She didn't need clarification to understand who he was talking about. She gasped, her hand covering her mouth. Of course he would. He would call on all his Death Eaters as soon as Harry was born, that was sure. "Oh, Regulus!" she said, and flung herself into his arms.

Hesitantly, he wrapped his arms loosely around her and pressed his face into her hair. She felt the warm drops of blood seeping into her hairline, but she didn't care. He started trembling, and she realised that he was afraid.

"I'm sorry." she said, trying to cheer him up.

He froze. "You shouldn't be." he told her.

She was surprised by the coldness in his voice. He pulled away from her arms and turned around so that he didn't have to face her.

"You shouldn't be sorry for a monster like me." he continued.

She shook her head. "That's not who you are." she whispered.

"Yes it is!" he burst out. He spun around so fast he was almost blurry to her, and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Don't you get it Hermione? I'm a monster!"

"No you're not!" she shouted back. She grabbed his left arm, ignoring when he winced, and held it up for him to see. "This," she said, pointing at his Mark. "This is nothing!"

"Yes it is!" he argued. "It's a huge mistake!"

"Everybody makes mistakes!" she shouted. "Just look at all the ones _I_ made!"

"Yeah," he agreed. "Like falling in love with me."

She froze. "Just because it wasn't meant to be at first doesn't mean it was a mistake." she whispered.

He turned around and started trembling. It was a couple of minutes before he let the first sob be heard, though. She walked over to him and hugged his back. "Save me." he whispered. "I need you."

"And I won't ever leave you." she whispered back. She stretched her arm to touch his Mark softly, and walked around him so that he could look at her in the eye.

"It's funny." he said suddenly.

She stared at him, slightly puzzled. "What is?" she asked.

"How I need your love the most when I least deserve it." he answered.

She laid her hand gently on his cheek. "You don't need to deserve my love, Regulus." she told him. "I'm yours."

He put his hand above hers and leaned into her warm palm. "Forever." he agreed. They both smiled.

-o-O-o-

**If you guys are extremely lucky, I might have a chapter up for tomorrow. :) Any way, don't forget to type in your little review in that little box below and send it to make my life a little brighter.**


	39. The Skies of Lust

**Disclaimer:**** Sadly, I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters. Everything belongs to JK Rowling, and I'm merely allowed to play around with them. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**WARNING: This chapter contains very explicit... erm... scenes, so if you don't like those, you might as well skip half of it. You have been warned!**

_Chapter 39_

-o-O-o-

Life didn't get better for Hermione. In fact, one could argue that it got even worse.

She and Regulus were both there to welcome the students back at the start of the school year. The new first-year class was not, thankfully, a very troublesome one, so work was not so hard. However, their differences in hours were starting to take their toll on their life as a married couple, what with Regulus working during the day and Hermione up until late. It was only during the weekend, after all their grading done, that they could have some time together.

Regulus had more calls from Voldemort, although none of them happened while he was in class, which was almost a miracle. They were getting increasingly more painful, something that was due, according to Severus, to the fact that he ignored them. He had no other option, though, so he usually lied down on his bed and let Hermione soothe him as his arm burnt and burnt and burnt.

But the worst was that Hermione had to see the date of Lily and James' death grow nearer and know that she couldn't do anything.

She tried though. Sometimes when she was over at the Potters', she would complain loudly about Peter and insist about how she didn't trust him. But both of them would just shrug it off and point out that her husband was a Death Eater, and that maybe _he_ shouldn't be trusted either.

And every time Hermione would see Harry, she would be at the same time amazed at how fast he was growing and sad. Sad for what she knew was an inescapable fate. Harry would have to live an orphan at his aunt and uncle's house for ten years, not knowing of the wizarding world's existence.

There were times when she wanted to tell Lily and James everything, about her jump back in time and Peter's betrayal, their death and Sirius' incarceration, but she never could. She just couldn't change the way things happened.

Regulus sometimes sensed something was up with her. She knew he did, for he always did, but he didn't do anything. She couldn't tell him either, as she feared his reaction. It was difficult for her, but she still kept her tongue.

The calls got less and less frequent, and Regulus could live normally again. Hermione managed to switch her midnight hour with her fourth years on Wednesdays to a one o'clock on Fridays, so she and her husband had a whole night to themselves per week. Things started to look better for our favourite couple. Days passed by easily.

Days turned into weeks, weeks into months and, soon, they were in March.

It was Regulus' birthday, and Hermione had prepared a small special day, with breakfast in bed, green lingerie and balloons hanging off the walls. She was just waiting for him to wake up, huddled up against him in flimsy green fabric with very high heels (in bed, I know) a garter belt and stockings.

He squirmed and sighed a little before opening his eyes. They roamed over her body appreciatively and he murmured: "Good morning."

His voice was thick with sleep and lust, and she liked that, in a weird way. "Good morning to you too." she whispered, and bent over to kiss him softly.

He responded eagerly, probably sensing what was going to happen next, but she just chuckled and pulled away. He looked puzzled. "Is that it?" he asked.

She laughed and slipped out of bed. He stared after her as she bent to retrieve something from the closet. She walked back towards their bed and threw something green at him.

It was a wrapped parcel. "What's that?" he asked, still confused.

"Open it." she answered simply.

He did as she asked, ripping the green paper apart in his eagerness to get this over with and the next part started, put as he plunged a hand down the parcel, he froze. He stared at her and she smiled. He retrieved his arm and pulled out...

A pair of handcuffs.

He raised an eyebrow at her, but it was no longer in a puzzled way. It was appreciative.

She bit her lip. "Oh, sir," she said in a fake high pitched voice. "I'm awfully sorry; I didn't know this wasn't authorised behaviour."

He smiled and slipped out of the bed, handcuffs in hand, oblivious to the fact that he was entirely naked. "That's inconvenient." he told her. "I'm afraid you're going to have to be punished."

"Oh, no!" she exclaimed. "I didn't mean to!" she started to back away from him, and he advanced, ready to pounce.

"I'm afraid you can't be an exception, milady." he said, his voice slightly dark.

She spun around and darted towards the bathroom door. Smiling like a hunter would, he ran after her, and, before she could wrench the door open, he had her in his arms. She squealed and wriggled a bit, and he let her go, wanting this to be more of a chase.

She went to hide behind the bed, but he ran after her. Laughing a little, she circled the bed, trying to escape him. His light silver eyes intense, he hopped onto the bed and grabbed her, pulling her down with him. He rolled them over so that he was lying down on her back, and pulled her arms into her back so that he could put the cuffs on.

She purred a little but, against odds, he pulled away. She looked behind herself and saw that he had a very evil look on his face. He bent forward to grab her by the cuffs and pulled her up, into his chest. He pressed his erection into her back and whispered: "Listen, doll, if you try anything funny, I've got a gun, and I won't hesitate to shoot. You alright with that?"

"Yes." she whispered, her breathing quickening.

"Good." he said, one hand reaching down to reach her buttocks. "Now let's get you to the station."

He pushed her around a little before he led both of them to their office. He pushed a couple of things out of the way and pressed her into the edge of his desk.

"You have the right to keep silent." he whispered, stroking her ass with his right hand. "If you decide to deny that right, anything that you say can and will be held against you. That means shut up, doll. _Capice_?"

"Yes." she whispered, and he slapped her ass.

She gasped. "I said shut up!" he hissed. He undid one of the cuffs and pulled her arms to her chest. "Now, you are going to do exactly as I say." he declared. "Understand?"

She nodded.

"Good." he smiled. "Now... bend over."

She obeyed and bent herself over the desk in a very suggestive manner.

He smiled. "Can I trust you not to move while I fetch something?" he asked, to which she nodded eagerly once more. He left the room and came back a couple of seconds later, his wand in hand.

He went back behind her and pulled her arms from her chest and re-cuffed her. With a wave of his wand, a long iron nail was planted in the middle of his desk, and he pulled the cuffs so that the chain was behind it. Then, with another wave of his wand, the nail bent so that the chain could no longer escape.

He took a few steps back to admire his work while she just stayed there, bent over the desk and unable to move, breathing very heavily. He gave another wave of his wand and the lingerie disappeared, leaving her naked, with stilettos. "I like those shoes." he declared, before moving to stand behind her again.

He threw his wand away and grabbed her roughly to press himself at her entrance, while she mumbled: "Please..."

He pinched her backside and she gasped. "Please what?" he asked.

Reminding herself that she had a role to play, she squirmed against his member and mumbled again: "Please... Don't hurt me."

He smiled. "This is standard procedure, miss. I promise that if you don't move or make any noise, it won't hurt... Much."

Getting a better grip on her, he spread her legs further apart as she felt herself dampen more than she thought possible. She was so wet that he slid into her easily and she gave a long moan at the feeling of being so deliciously _full_.

He slapped her left buttock very hard and she twitched around him, making him groan. Slowly, he pulled back, only to ease himself back in, just as tauntingly. He continued that rhythm for a couple of thrust before she whimpered and squirmed against him. He slapped her right buttock then, but dived deep into her, filling her up to the hilt.

She stifled a moan as he began a faster rhythm, gripping her hips so roughly that she was sure to have bruises later. He was oddly quiet, and for a couple of minutes the only sound that echoed around the room was the wet slapping sound that was made when his hips slammed against her ass.

However, Regulus didn't want to play fair and so reached between her legs, only to give her clit a hard rub. "Oh!" she said, her head shooting up in surprise. He pinched her backside hard but she didn't care anymore. He continued rubbing her with his right and she moaned, never stopping, so he slapped her again and again with his left hand, all the while thrusting deep into her. She bucked against him with every thrust, her legs spreading even further apart as she begged him to dive deeper into her.

Then he pulled his right hand away, actually pulled away altogether, and she froze with shock. She had been so close! She then felt a hand on her clit again, whilst the other hiked her leg up so that it rested on the desk. "Listen doll," he said, his voice ragged. "If I have to tell you to shut up one more time, I'm going to pull out and wank right there, right in front of you. Get it?"

She nodded frantically, her sweaty curls bouncing up and down. He pressed two fingers into her folds and started moving them inside her. As she willed herself not to make a noise, he spread them so that she was open for air to come in, which it did. He spread her legs as well and pressed himself against her ass, entering her one way while his fingers worked miracles in the other.

It hurt a little, at first, but the glorious feeling of being full took over once more and she would have moaned, had he not cut her. "Now, doll." he said. "I'm going to cum up your tight little ass and you'd better not make a noise."

She shook her head. She'd never done this before, and goodness knows how many things she'd tried with both Sirius and Regulus, but it felt awfully good, and she wasn't about to give this up.

He started moving then, and then room was once more filled with flesh on flesh slaps, although there was no more wet hint to it. She bit her tongue to keep her moans in check, but Regulus did no such thing. At first, he _was_ quiet, but then he started groaning, and when Regulus starts groaning, it sounds as if a whole pack of wild animals were in the room.

She felt the tension building up as her husband's groans grew even louder, and, quite suddenly, it released itself. Her mouth popped open in a perfect 'O' as waves of pleasure crashed down on her and she willed herself quiet still. Waves after wave, she clamped down onto his hand, not letting the slightest whimper escape her lips.

With a groan still louder than the others, he spent himself inside of her, before collapsing, panting, onto her sweaty back. After a few minutes of lying still, he kissed her shoulder blade and whispered: "Feel free to surprise me like that whenever you want."

-o-O-o-

Their wedding anniversary came and went, and they got a replay of Regulus' birthday, which pleased them both very much. Soon enough, it was summer and, even sooner, it was over. September came and Hermione grew more and more restless as fate grew nearer.

September passed in a blur and soon, it was halfway through October. Little did Hermione know that it was October 19th that would seal James and Lily's fate.

Peter Pettigrew was walking through the corridors of Malfoy Manor, wheezing and puffing with stress as he directed himself towards the Dark Lord's chambers. He knocked on the door twice before Bellatrix went to open. He slid inside easily as she closed the door behind him. As soon as he saw his master, he fell to his knees, trembling. "Master..." he whimpered.

"Rise, Wormtail." Voldemort told him.

Peter stumbled to his feet awkwardly, staring at the floor at he counted his day's achievements. "I have been to the Potters' new house, today, master. They have explained Black's plan of making me Secret Keeper, as well as the bases of the Fidelius Charm. They went through the ritual and..." he stopped to wipe sweat from his brow. "They have made me their Secret Keeper, master. I am now the keeper of their location... as well as Harry Potter's."

Voldemort smiled. "Very well, Wormtail. Now, pray tell me... Where is that foolish Potter boy hiding?" he asked, his high voice menacing.

Wormtail wiped his forehead again. "In Godric's Hollow master, they have a house near the cemetery." He looked up, his watery eyes afraid. "May I take my leave, now, master?"

The snake-like face gave an almost imperceptible nod and Peter scampered out of view, visibly trembling. When he was out of sight, Voldemort snapped his fingers and Bellatrix was instantly at his side. "Bella, dear," he said.

"Yes, master?" she whispered.

He grinned. "I'd like you to give the Longbottoms a little... _visit_, if that's alright with you."

She nodded, knowing better than to decline a proposition. "Yes, master." she said.

"Not now, though!" he added. "It might be better if you waited until I go about to my business. The 31st sounds good."

She nodded again.

"Be sure to be free that day." he added menacingly, his voice almost a hiss. "I won't tolerate any absence."

She agreed quietly and he waved her off, watching her leave the room with as much dignity as she could muster. Once she was gone, Lord Voldemort started to laugh.

-o-O-o-

**You guys are the luckiest people I know! One chapter, one! Straight out from the oven! As always, please leave a review for your very yearning author! :) They are always appreciated!**


	40. Pulling the Strings

**Disclaimer:**** Sadly, I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters. Everything belongs to JK Rowling, and I'm merely allowed to play around with them. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**CONGRATULATIONS TO ****xXRosexScorpiusXx WHO CAUGHT THE 200th REVIEW! :D**

_Chapter 40_

-o-O-o-

It was October 31st.

Hermione couldn't stand it; she had to save Lily and James. She just knew it. It wasn't right to let them die. She was packing her bags and preparing herself for a battle that she knew would come when Regulus entered the room.

She gasped and spun around, trying to hide her bags behind her back. He had frozen at the door. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I let the kids out early so they could go to the feast." he answered. "What are _you_ doing?"

"I... I..." she stuttered.

"You were leaving." he stated simply. His voice was suddenly devoid of any emotion.

"I was going to come back!" she defended herself, but he had closed the door and was now leaning on it.

"I've had enough." he declared. "You've been hiding stuff from me, and now, I want to know what."

"Regulus..."

"Don't you 'Regulus' me''!" he shouted, and she jumped. He so rarely lost his cool. "I've had enough of your sweet words and promises! I want to know what's going on!"

She sighed. "Why is it that important to you anyway?" she asked.

He stiffened. "You're going to leave me, aren't you?" he asked. Without waiting for an answer, he continued. "I knew it. You were acting so strange and all over sudden you don't see Lupin anymore..." She cringed. He had noticed, then, had he? "Then you cut ties with James, then Lily... Like you wanted them to forget about you. You're going back aren't you? You found a way to travel forward in time and now you're going back-"

"Shut up!" she said suddenly. "I'm not leaving you, I'm not going back, I'm just... going shopping."

He stared at her. "Maybe you're not leaving me..." he reasoned. "But you're not going shopping. What is it, Hermione? Is it this day? Is..." he trailed off and froze as everything came into place. "Somebody's going to die, isn't it?"

She sighed. "Yes."

"And you're off to save them, aren't you?" he asked again.

She nodded. "Yes." she said again. "Now, will you let me go?"

"No." he declared, his voice firm.

She blinked. "Excuse me?" she asked. She thought he'd understand.

"I won't let you. Once was enough." he said. "You weren't even supposed to save _me_. Sometimes I wish you hadn't."

"So what could have happened? We'd have both died?" she asked. "What a very happy ending indeed." she added sarcastically.

"It'd have been better... It'd have kept the timeline intact..." he whispered. "And you would want to save another idiot who gets himself killed today!"

"It's James and Lily!" she snapped.

"Who cares?" he asked, throwing his arms up in the air. "Who cares whom it's about? You can't just decide to change fate like that! The whole world could go ka-boom!"

"I know the risks" she said. "I was planning on hiding them!"

"You can't hide everybody you want, Hermione! One was enough!" he declared. "One was too much! Besides, they won't want to be cooped up forever while they watch their son grow up in an orphanage!"

"I can't let them die!" she yelled. "I already let Mary die, and look at what happened because of that! Poor Remus! And Marlene! Maybe none of them would have died, had I not come here!"

"Which is why you can't save them!" he answered. "You've tampered too much with the timeline already."

"I don't care!" she cried, tears starting to fall down her cheeks.

"Who do you think you _are_, Hermione?" he asked.

"I..."

"Tell me, Hermione! Who do you think you are, to think that you can just pull the strings like that and get away with it? Huh? Are you a manipulator?" he asked.

"No..." she shook her head. "I'm Hermione... Just Hermione..."

"Liar." he accused her. "You maybe a Hermione, but you're not _my_ Hermione. My Hermione would have stood back and cried herself to sleep, no matter how much it hurt, because she would have done what was right, and not just something her petty selfish side would have done."

"I have to do this..." she continued.

"But if you do this, what's next, huh?" he asked. "Where do we draw the line? I always thought that, no matter what happened, at least you'd be free, but look at you now!"

"I _am_ free." she told him.

He snorted. "You're as free as Gellert Grindelwald right now. You're no superhero, Hermione."

"And you're not the one who's supposed to stop me!" she yelled at him.

He froze. Taking this to her advantage, she grabbed her bags and shoved past him, wrenching the door open. "Don't walk away..." she heard him whisper from behind her.

"I have to save them." she insisted.

"Why don't you save me instead?" he asked.

"You're not in any danger." she reasoned.

"I will be if you step through that door." he answered, his voice barely more than a whisper.

She closed the door and turned around. Her stare was cold. "What do you want?"

"I want you to stay." he answered. "I want you to avoid the ultimate fling. I want you to stay... alive."

"I'm not going to die." she told him.

"You can't know that." he said, shaking his head. "If both of them died, why can't you?" He paused. "I can't live without you, 'Mione..." he admitted.

"Don't be ridiculous." she snapped, her resolve starting to crumble.

"I'm not." he answered, looking up. "I really can't. I want you near, like a shadow in my wake; I need you here, for new day to break..." His impossibly light grey eyes connected with hers. They were begging.

"You were doing just fine before I came along." she said.

"And when you left me, was I doing so fine?" he asked. "I tried to kill myself in one last blaze of glory, how positive is that? And you weren't even dead, then! What if you die? You'd take my heart with you! And then _I'd_ die! Would you like that, Hermione? Would you like me to die?"

"I don't want anybody to die!" she yelled. "I want all of you to stay alive!"

"You can't have everything you want!" he shouted back. "You're going to have to choose! It's me or the Potters!"

"What if I chose the Potters?" she challenged.

"I wouldn't wait long." he warned.

Suddenly, she burst into tears and slumped down on the ground, her body wracked with sobs. Sighing, he went to sit beside her and pulled her softly into his arms, rocking her backwards and forwards, like one would do with a small child.

"I'm sorry they had to die." he told her.

She cried for almost half an hour, tears flowing down her cheeks and drenching Regulus' shirt. Then her hands started fumbling at the buttons and pulled it open, and she started kissing his chest.

"Hermione?" he asked, surprised.

She kissed his jaw and whispered: "Make love to me Regulus."

"I..." he said, not quite sure what to answer.

"Make love to me..." she repeated. "Make me forget everything. Make me forget James and Lily. Make me forget Sirius and Remus. Make me forget about time travel and Voldemort and war... Make me forget my own my own name."

He mulled it over and stroked her arms as she kissed her way down his neck and up again. Suddenly, his fingers encountered a little piece of skin sticking out a little. "Take that out." he said.

She froze, looked at her arm, then back to him.

"Take that out." he whispered. "Let's have a baby."

Her voice was shaking a little as she answered: "Now?"

He smiled. "Yes, now. We've waited enough, haven't we?"

"I'm... not sure..." she said, biting her lip.

He nuzzled her neck. "Please." he begged softly.

She reached for one of her bags and pulled out her wand. With a little wave of it, she Vanished the piece of plastic that was lodged under her skin.

Regulus smiled. "Now," he said. "What was that about forgetting your own name? You're hurting me... I'll make you forget there's anything in this world apart from the two of us. I'll make you believe in heaven."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered: "Dear Regulus... I started believing in heaven the day I first met you."

Their lips met.

-o-O-o-

"James and Lily are dead." Dumbledore announced gravely.

Hermione stared at her hands as tears flowed down her cheeks. Regulus was grave beside her and he rubbed her back in circles. Snape was sitting in another chair, tears flowing silently from his black eyes.

"Regulus, Hermione... I need to ask something of you... Something Severus has already agreed to." Dumbledore declared. "Will you help me protect their only son? Harry lives."

"I'll do anything in my power to protect Harry." Hermione declared.

"I'll follow her anywhere." Regulus said.

Dumbledore nodded. "I've decided to place Harry with his aunt and uncle. He will stay with them until he comes of age... Except when he attends Hogwarts, of course."

"His aunt and uncle?" Regulus asked. "I thought James Potter was an only son."

"He is." Dumbledore answered. "I have placed him with his Muggle family, with Lily's sister, Petunia, her husband and their son."

"You sent Lily and James Potter's son to live with _Muggles_?" Regulus asked, sounding outraged. "That boy saved out world and he gets to live with Muggles? He should be living in the grandest castle there is, fed with the finest food, in the world he belongs in!"

"You have to realise, Regulus, that his saving the world was absolutely unintentional." Dumbledore told him. "I, for my part, believe that it was due to a mistake that Lord Voldemort," Everybody flinched at the name. "Made himself."

The four people in the room looked awkwardly at each other, not knowing what to say.

"Well,' Dumbledore declared, clapping his hands together. "If there is nothing else that you wish to say, I guess you could all leave so that I can have a talk with Hermione."

Regulus and Snape stood up, shooting them curious glances as they left the room. "Was is it, Headmaster?" she asked.

"I just wanted to know if you knew what to do when time comes to take your place again in your timeline." he said, crossing his arms.

"Well..." she said, scratching herself behind her ear. "I don't, actually."

He sighed. "What I suggest you do is exactly what you've been doing for almost two years now. You transfigure yourself into your younger self and live your life in your disguise."

"But..." she said. "What about Regulus?"

"When the war is over, because we both know it isn't, you can resume your life with Regulus." he announced.

"He's going to be alone?" she asked, fear seeping into her voice.

"If you are at Hogwarts for the time being, he will have you within his eyesight, and I daresay this should be enough for him."

"I'm not sure..." she whispered. "Maybe he'll be sad..."

"The only to find out how he feels is to ask him." Dumbledore told her.

She nodded. "Thank you sir." she said, and stood up to leave the room.

As she exited the Headmaster's office, she noticed that Regulus had stayed to wait for her, but Snape had left. "So?" he asked once she got out. "How did it go?"

She sighed. "Regulus... One day I'm going to have to rejoin my part in the timeline." she turned to face him. "We won't be able to see each other as often anymore. In fact... If the war isn't over before I leave Hogwarts... We won't be able to see each other at all."

"Then I'll come with you." he declared.

She turned her head, her eyes questioning. "What?" she asked.

"I'll come with you." he repeated. "I'll just disguise as somebody else and tag along. You'll pretend you met me in the library and we're dating or something." He turned towards her. "But I'm not leaving you alone." he declared firmly.

"Regulus..." she started, but he cut her.

"I took a vow." he said. "I promised to care for you, love and cherish you, in sickness and in health, 'til death does us apart. And, quite frankly," he added. "I'm not eager for death to do us apart."

She hugged him, burying her head in his chest. "If I may be honest with you too," she said. "I'm not eager for that to happen either."

He wrapped his arms around her. "Besides," he added. "Isn't it nice to be able to have a second youth?"

"It is," she agreed, and then gave a short laugh. "I am the only woman in the world who, not only went back in time over twenty years, but also gets to be believed dead while she runs off and marries a criminal, then gets a second youth with the love of her life."

"Lucky you." he teased. "I bet that criminal is really handsome."

"Devilishly so." she told him.

"Are you calling me a devil?" he asked, mock anger in his voice.

"No," she answered, looking up to his light silver eyes. "I'm calling you _the _devil." Looking at his fake-shocked face, she gave a short laugh. "I told you, you made me believe in heaven, didn't I? To believe in heaven, you have to believe in hell."

He laughed and pecked her softly on the lips. "How about," he proposed. "The devil gives you lesson, back in his personal place in hell?"

She pretended to think about it. "Does it include a certain pair of handcuffs?" she asked.

He grinned. "Maybe."

She pecked him on the lips again. "Count me in." she said.

He raised an eyebrow. "Then what are you waiting for, woman?" he asked. "Run!"

She didn't need to be told twice.

-o-O-o-

**Yay! Another chapter up! Again, please review, and a special wave to ****xXRosexScorpiusXx for catching that 200****th**** review! Also, thanks to my reviewers who review almost every chapter: ****LK-HoGwArTs-hEaDgIrL****, ****Amarenima Redwood****, ****everlastingtrueromance**** and ****xXRosexScorpiusXx**** ! Thanks guys! I love you! You keep me going!**


	41. Renegade

**Disclaimer:**** Sadly, I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters. Everything belongs to JK Rowling, and I'm merely allowed to play around with them. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**NOTE FROM A VERY HAPPY AUTHOR! I just wanted to thank you for all the reviews, guys! You see, since yesterday, 'The Right Path' is officially the most reviewed HG/RAB story, any category! :D That made me so happy! Anyway, on with the chapter. So, a lot of answers should be given in this chapter, so keep up! :)**

_Chapter 41_

-o-O-o-

Sirius Black was angry.

Sure, he was often angry, but never had he felt such a wrath burning deep inside his chest. It felt worse than when he had heard Hermione had left him for his brother, and that had been his epitome of anger, up until now.

But now, it was no longer anger burning through his veins. It was pure, murderous rage. Suddenly, Sirius knew how Remus had felt the day Mary had died over two years ago. There was only one word echoing through his brain:

'_Murder. Murder, murder, murder._'

He didn't know what that word was referring to, whether it was the committed or the about to be. In any case, he was prowling the busy streets of Muggle London, waiting for someone, while this word bounded about in his head like a happy goat.

Finally, he heard a voice behind him. "Sirius?"

It was squeaky, and sounded very much afraid. Sirius spun around growled: "Peter."

"What did you want, Sirius?" Pettigrew asked, his eyes darting to edges of the street, probably looking for an escape in case Sirius lost his temper.

"I want to know why." he hissed, while a voice in his head yelled at him to kill the bloody traitor.

"Why what?" Pettigrew squeaked, his voice becoming slightly higher.

"Why, Peter?" Sirius yelled. A few Muggles shot disapproving glances at him, but no one stopped to watch. Perhaps it was the fact that Sirius had a mad glint in his silver eyes, or just his big muscles, but either way, they were left alone. "Why did you betray James and Lily?"

"I didn't mean to!" Peter defended himself. "The Dark Lord... He had powers you do not know of! He made me! I swear I didn't mean for James and Lily to die!"

"Liar!" Sirius snapped. "You've always been a liar! You've been a filthy little traitor from the start! No wonder you were eager to become their Secret Keeper!"

"I wasn't!" he squeaked.

"Shut up!" Sirius yelled.

"No, Sirius!" Pettigrew yelled back.

"You dare-" the other started, but Pettigrew cut him again.

"Yes, I dare! You don't know what it was like!" he yelled. "I only wanted one thing, and the Dark Lord promised it!"

"But now he's dead!" Sirius answered. "So you come back weeping to my feet and expect me to forgive you!"

"I know!" Peter yelled. "But even if he was alive, he couldn't have given it to me either!"

"You realised that a bit late, you snivelling little bastard!" Sirius hissed.

"Will you listen?" Peter asked. "Will you please, just, listen? For once in your fucking life, Sirius, top thinking only about yourself!"

If they hadn't been in a street full of witnesses, Sirius would have given in to temptation and killed Pettigrew, right there, and right now.

"I wanted James." the murderer explained.

Sirius froze. He'd _wanted_ James? As in...

"I've been in love with James ever since I knew him." he continued.

Yeah. As in... _that_ sense.

"At first, I thought it was just friendship, but I tagged along with him more than you or Remus, when we were supposed to be an 'all equal' group of friends." he said.

"You killed him, Peter!" Sirius yelled. "What an act of love that was indeed!"

"Let me finish!" the turncoat shouted. "In was only in fifth year, when we were doing all these Animagi thingies that I realised that it was love. Remember Sirius, it was the year I told you I was gay."

Sirius didn't believe it. He _couldn't_ believe it!

"And I wanted him so bad, but he was just going on and on about Lily and how wonderful she was and how she was the love of his life and blah and blah and blah."

Sirius' hand was itching towards his wand, just there in his cloak pocket, a few centimetres away...

"I think you can guess what happened next." Pettigrew teased. "I grew to hate Lily Evans. I felt for her what you feel for me right now. She had everything I wanted, and she was denying it."

Sirius did his best to keep his cool, but it wasn't working very well.

"I guess it could have been worse." Pettigrew amended. "In any case, there was that day, we were in Charms class, and I was staring at James, when your dear cousin Bella poked me in the shoulder."

Sirius felt disgusted.

"She told me about the Dark Lord wanting to make the world a better place, freeing the world of Mudbloods and all that kind of bullshit. I, quite frankly, didn't give a rat's arse about it, no pun intended. I was not racist or anything, and Muggles were of no importance to me."

Sirius almost rolled his eyes. Of course, Peter was Half-blood, so he didn't mind Muggles like Sirius was supposed to.

"But then she said something interesting. She said that if I joined his cause, the Dark Lord would give me anything I wanted. I remember... My eyes had darted towards Lily and I had asked: 'Will he mind if I kill a Mudblood?' And she had laughed."

Sirius knew what he was talking about. Bellatrix's very weird but still very scary laugh had always traumatised him.

"So I joined the Dark Lord, and I asked him if, when the war was over, I could kill Lily Evans and have James Potter. He promised them to me. I did everything I was told, and I hid my real identity from all of you."

Somehow, Sirius knew what was going to happen next.

"And then Hermione arrived. She almost popped out of nowhere, and she didn't trust me. I thought she knew my secret, but somehow, it seemed improbable to me. Then you two started dating, Remus found Mary and Lily stopped ignoring James. I was left alone and in pain."

This part should have made Sirius feel bad, but all he could see was red.

"Sure, you two had your ups and down, you fighting your brother to get her and all that... But at least somebody admitted their love to you."

"James never loved you that way!" Sirius snapped.

Pettigrew sighed. "I know. I was just going to slip a love potion inside his tea everyday or something, once the Dark Lord gave him to me, but back to the story."

Sirius didn't know what else there was to say, but Pettigrew continued anyway.

"I continued by deeds to the Dark Lord, all the while joining the Order to report back information as a spy. And, one day, I was assigned to my first real mission with the other Death Eaters..."

Sirius understood everything. "Egypt..." he growled.

"Yes, Egypt." Peter sighed. "I wasn't really with my Aunt, of course, and if you'd listened more closely to me, you'd have realised my aunt died in fourth year. Anyway, we had you in such a good posture, and then _Regulus_ had to fuck up."

Sirius froze.

"He handed his wand to Hermione, and in a couple of seconds, you were all free... All but one."

He smiled evilly and Sirius saw the traces of Death Eater that polluted his mind.

"Yaxley was holding her, and I had her at my mercy. I fired the Killing Curse, but then some stupid wench had to get in the way." he growled.

"You killed Mary." Sirius whispered, his voice disbelieving.

"Yes, I killed Mary. Then I started shaking. You must have thought I was crying, but what I did was shake with anger. When Remus tried to kill me, I didn't stop him, because I thought that I deserved that for missing my target. I had been so close I could feel the elation of murdering someone you truly hate... Almost Horcruxe-like... And then I missed."

"You bastard." Sirius whispered. He was so angry he couldn't even raise his voice.

Pettigrew smirked. "I know right." he said.

"Do you even know, or _care_, what Mary's death did to Remus?" he hissed menacingly.

The murderer shrugged. "I know, but no, I didn't care. I was planning my next move. I was wondering when my next chance to kill Lily would be. And then something popped in... Something I didn't like... Someone was called to investigate."

"Marlene..." Sirius realised, appalled.

He nodded. "Yes, Marlene. Of course, I had to kill her too, else she'd have told the whole Wizarding world about me and my cover would have been blown like a leaf in the wind." He smiled. "She had a nice, clean death, and I dumped her body in front of the pyramid, waiting for someone to go looking for her."

Sirius held his head in his hands as it was threatening to explode. "I bet you killed Hermione, too. Regulus probably decided to join us and tell us about you, you set a trap up, she went to save him and _you killed them both_."

Pettigrew started laughing. People around them turned around to watch the small throwing his head back as peals of laughter escaped his throat. "You're so stupid Sirius!" he declared. "They're not dead!"

"You're lying!" Sirius yelled suddenly, the wrath back inside his chest.

"Have I been lying to you today?" Pettigrew asked. "Sure, I'm not a very good source, but I have been perfectly honest for most of today, so you could, at the very least, feel like I'm telling the truth... For once."

"Prove it." he snarled.

"I can't prove it." he argued. "But you know she's alive anyway. Don't you?"

"No!" Sirius yelled, pulling out his wand.

"Really?" Pettigrew asked. "You really are stupid! But let me finish my story first. I became Secret Keeper and told the Dark Lord about the Potters' location. The next day, I begged him to leave James be. He could kill Lily if he liked, but James had to live."

"But he didn't listen, did he?" Sirius hissed.

Pettigrew sighed. "No, he didn't. And now I live in pain-"

"Pain?" Sirius shrieked suddenly. "What do you know about pain! _I_ live in pain! My best friend and his wife are dead, my other best friend is depressive, all of this because you killed them! I live in agony! Even my brother and my fucking _fiancée_ are dead now!"

"How many times will I have to tell you?" Pettigrew asked rhetorically, shaking his head. "They're alive! At least, Hermione is, and if she is, Regulus probably is too."

"That's not true!" Sirius yelled, wanting so badly to raise his wand.

"You still don't get it, Sirius, do you?" Pettigrew taunted. "Haven't you noticed something weird lately? Somebody arriving just as Hermione left? Somebody who seemed to get along very well with Lily, James and Remus? Someone protected by the walls of Hogwarts? Someone who arrived with a boyfriend in tow, a boyfriend who looked so incompatible with her?"

Sirius froze. No, I couldn't be...

"Someone..." Pettigrew mused. "Like Stella Sinistra?"

"No..." Sirius said, out loud this time.

"Yes Sirius!" Pettigrew announced, a mad little giggle in his voice.

"No!" Sirius said, louder, this time, as his wrath burned up like a bonfire inside his chest, higher and higher.

"Yes!" Pettigrew insisted. "She never loved you! She loved everyone but you! She's been hiding from you, trying to keep her true identity hidden so that you wouldn't piss her off like you always did at school, and even after that!"

Sirius raised his wand. "I'm warning you, Peter!" he snarled. "One more word..."

"And you'll do what? Kill me?" he asked, before throwing his head back and laughing. "She never loved you! Give up! She only slept with you because Hermione Granger was nothing more than a slutty whore! Just a cheap, slutty who-"

"_Fulgur Maxima_!" Sirius yelled, his wand aimed between Pettigrew's eyes. The bright yellow curse left his wand and crackled around the air menacingly.

There was a bang, and Sirius was thrown back onto the pavement, some twenty feet from his original standing place. His head was ringing, and when he tried to stand up, to world turned dangerously to one side and he fell back down again.

It was a few minutes before he could sit up and look around at the scene around him. There was dust everywhere, and Muggles were huddled over at a place, close to where he had been standing. He stood up carefully and walked slowly to them. He could see them talk, but the only thing he heard was a low ringing sound in the back of his head.

As he approached, they looked at him in horror and backed off. Some even ran away. They enabled him to go and look at what they were talking about. In the centre of their circle lay a pile of ashes with, in the middle, a single bloody finger.

Sirius smiled. "I did it." he said, then started laughing out loud. "I did it!" he said again, this time shouting it, though. He threw his head back and laughed hysterically. There was a dull throb in his heart as he knew that his life was worthless now, but for now, all he thought about was how he'd killed Pettigrew.

Sirius tripped over something and hit his head on the pavement, but he didn't stop laughing. He laughed and laughed and laughed, a very hysterical sound, but he didn't care at all. He looked around him, still laughing, and saw dead bodies on the floor. He started counting them, just for fun, but when he arrived at eight, a sudden dizziness took over.

He rolled onto his side and threw up, but as soon as he was done, he started laughing again. In the distance, the ringing sound subsided and he saw a wizard in long, deep blue robes walk towards him. The wizard picked him up and started dragging him to... Actually, Sirius had no idea where the wizard was dragging him to. Just that he was dragging.

There was a bright red light and, the next thing Sirius Orion Black the third knew, he was in a cold cell, in solitary confinement in Azkaban prison, for the next twelve years of his life.

-o-O-o-

**Ta-daaaaa! We're nearing the end now! Only one or two chapters left, and an epilogue! :) This sort of makes me sad, I've worked so hard on this story and I don't want to leave you guys! :/ There should be a sequel though, so if you want to read that, be my guest. Anyway, as always, please leave a review, I really, really, **_**really**_** want some. :D They make my day, and I always answer them.**


	42. The Stones We Threw

**Disclaimer:**** Sadly, I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters. Everything belongs to JK Rowling, and I'm merely allowed to play around with them. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**I know. It's a tiny bit late. :) Sorry.**

_Chapter 42_

-o-O-o-

_...two months later..._

The sea around Azkaban prison was cold, but Hermione didn't care. Her cloak was wrapped tightly around her, and her silver hair flew around her face as she waited for her little embarkation to arrive to the next shore. The Dementor that was pushing it looked somehow disinterested, but that was to be expected. After all, no happy thoughts swirled through her mind right now.

A strong gust of cold January wind hit, and she shivered violently. Suddenly, she was glad Regulus wasn't there with her. He would have made too much of a fuss about her catching something, anyway.

Slowly, the little boat hit the soil that was the island of Azkaban, and Hermione hopped off. As her boots hit the sand, she felt a strong wave of pity towards all the inhabitants of this sad place. She felt a little empty, and noticed that Dementors were now surrounding her, leaving only a small passage way for her to get in.

Shoving past them a bit, she followed a track to the entrance of the huge prison. She entered the building, and shivered once more when she realised that inside was even colder than outside. An old witch sat at an office, just next to the door, scribbling down on some papers. Hermione had expected to see a bunch of Aurors there, too, but apparently, there were none.

"Hello." she said timidly to the elder witch at the counter. "I'd like to visit somebody please."

She didn't even look up. "Feel free. Who is it that you'd like to see?"

Hermione gave away a small smile. "Sirius Black."

The scribbling stopped. Slowly and carefully, as if afraid of whom she would see up there, the woman looked up to take a glance at Hermione's face from above her triangular glasses. "And who might want to see that man?" she asked carefully.

"Stella Sinistra, Professor of Astronomy at Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." she answered, her small smile still in place.

The elder woman nodded. "Very well." she said. "Follow me."

-o-O-o-

"Hello, Sirius." Hermione whispered once she was alone in front of his cell. The elder witch who had shown her the way had left hurriedly, as if she was afraid of Sirius. Of course, she didn't know that he was innocent.

He looked up from his ragged mattress at the silver haired angel that stood in front of him. "Hermione…" he croaked. His voice was hoarse, as if he hadn't drunk in days. She pitied him.

"So you found out, then," she asked, tucking her hair behind her ear.

He smiled a little. "Obviously. It was Peter who told me."

"Peter?" she asked. "How did _he_ find out?"

"I forgot." he sighed. "I was so happy when I killed him… They took that memory." he explained. There was a pause. "'Mione, I didn't betray James and Lily."

"I know." she said. "It was Peter."

He looked puzzled. "How did you know?" he asked.

She sighed. "Sirius… There are things about me I haven't told you." she started.

"Like what?" he asked, sounding afraid of what was about to come.

"I'm not from around here." she explained. "I'm from… The future."

Another pause. "Oh." he said at last.

"Is that it?" she asked. "No angry lashing or billion questions or yelling 'What the fucking hell?!'?"

He smiled a little again, but it was cold. "I'm a bit too weak for that, but you just read my thoughts."

"I'm sorry, Sirius." she apologised. She pulled out her wand and waved it around, a glass of water appearing out of thin air. "Here." she said, handing it to him.

He took it and downed it easily. After a few refills, he turned to glare at her. "I'm really mad at you, you know?"

"Yes." she said. "I expected that. I guess I deserve it, too."

"Of course you bloody well deserve it!" he hissed. "I've been holding on while you've been letting go... Do you know how painful that is?"

She shook her head. "No." she declared, and looked up at him. "And I'm not going to pretend that I did or will, either."

"I gave you all I could," he continued. "All I _had_, but apparently, it wasn't enough." he sighed, a note of despair entering his voice. "I wasn't your superhero."

"I didn't need you to be my superhero, Sirius." she whispered softly, crouching down and grabbing the iron bars of his cell. "At the time, I just wanted to escape _from_ my superhero... I needed a key. And you were there, and there's nothing I can do that can thank you enough."

He looked up at her hopefully. "You could get me out." he tried.

She stood back up and declared, her voice filled with pity: "No human being ever escapes Azkaban, Sirius." She hoped he would get the hint.

There was a pause. "There was something between us, right?" he asked. "I mean, there was love, and passion…"

"Yes, there was." she admitted. "There was love, passion, there was a flame… But there was regret, deceit, hidden thoughts…"

"Only on your part." he said.

"I know." she said. "I'm the love of your life, but you weren't mine. You were _a_ love in my life."

"I thought…" he started, before clearing his throat, as his voice was thick with multiple emotions. "I though we went deeper than skin."

"We did." she agreed. "And what lied within is still deeper than we know."

"I can't believe I was so stupid." he said. "I had all the hints in front of me, and I didn't realise anything… Who knew?" he asked.

"At first, only Dumbledore and me… Then I told Regulus-"

"He's alive?" Sirius asked.

She smiled weakly. "Yes, he's alive." Then her smile disappeared and she looked up to him. "He was supposed to die." she admitted.

"You _did_ save him then?" he asked.

"Yes, I did."

"But you didn't save James and Lily." he stated as an obvious fact.

Her voice broke. "No."

"Why?" he hissed.

"I couldn't." she said, her eyes brimming with tears.

Despite his obvious lack of strength, he slammed his fist against the door as hard as he could, and the loud _clang_ made Hermione jump. Sirius breathed heavily for a while and Hermione desperately tried to stop tears from falling.

"I'm sorry." she said, wiping her yes with the back of her sleeve.

There was a pause. "Tell me, Hermione," he said after a while. "Can I leave behind the naivety of youth?"

"You probably will." she said. "Although, I the future, you'll be as childish as before." she gave a small smile.

Her stared at her. "You know me in the future?"

"Yes." she admitted. "I do. That's what I told you, back when we were in the library, all those years ago."

He nodded as he remembered. "You told me I reminded you of a man who'd spent twelve years in Azkaban and never lost his mind." he said, before looking up at her. "I'll spend twelve years here?" he asked.

She sighed. "I wish I could get you out sooner." she said.

"How did I do it?" he asked. "Did I get so crazy I couldn't be considered a human being anymore?"

"No." she said. "You stayed sane."

"How?" he asked again.

She smiled a little. "I guess the fact that you knew you were innocent kept you going." she explained. There was a silence. "I loved you, you know." she blurted out at one point.

"Really?" he asked. "When?"

"When I mistook my love for Regulus with hatred…" she explained. "Since that day, when you were ready to take me back despite everything I'd done, all those times I just let you down and hurt you…"

"I'd take you back now with open arms." he said, almost to himself.

She smiled. "I loved you for that." she explained. "But then… The day Mary died, I realised love wasn't enough to keep us together. That death could do us easily apart."

"Then I asked you to marry me." he said.

"Yes." she agreed. "I didn't know what to say. I said yes as I weighed both options, thinking that, had I said no, you would've realised that I'm not the one for you, that I kept letting you down and hurting you… I was afraid you'd leave me." Her voice broke.

"I wouldn't have." he declared.

She smiled weakly. "I only realise that now." she admitted. She sighed. "Then I realised my mistakes, saying yes and that I loved Regulus, and I decided to fix them both… So I left. And I hurt you."

"I lived." he said, trying to toughen himself up a bit.

"Obviously." she said. "But I hated myself for hurting you, and when Regulus said the same… I guess we fit because we're both monsters in our own eyes." she theorised.

"You aren't a monster to me." he declared.

"And he's not one to me." she said. "Don't you see, Sirius?" she asked, exasperated. "He is to me what I am to you! He's…" she smiled. "He's my Hermione."

After a while, he sighed. "I guess we're both fools then?"

"Yeah." she agreed with a short laugh. "If they had a king for fools, would you wear the crown?" she asked.

"Probably." he told her. "But we'd have to share it."

"I love you, Sirius." she admitted.

"I love you, Hermione." he answered, even though he knew perfectly well that these words didn't mean the same thing from her as they did from him.

"Maybe," she mused. "Maybe there's a book, in the archives of time, that's called: 'Sirius Black, Hermione Granger; an Unwound future'." She turned to him. "I think I'd read it, if I ever stumbled upon it."

"I'd like to live it." he declared.

She smiled, but it faded quickly. "I'm sorry."

"I don't care." he answered. "The funny thing with love is what it feels like… It feels like planting a knife in your heart when you're suicidal. It feels awfully good, but there's still the fucking pain behind it."

"I guess that's an accurate description." she agreed.

He smiled weakly. "And when the person loves you back, you love them even more, because you know the pain they're in… And you feel like this brings you closer."

"I know what it feels like." she whispered.

"I know." he said. "And I don't believe anything can make me love you more."

"Even though I'm the cause of your pain?" she asked.

"Sure." he said nonchalantly, almost shrugging. "After all, you _are_ happy… And, for now, that's all that matters."

"Thank you." she said, almost crying.

"Please don't cry." he said. "It only makes everything so much harder…"

"When are they going to stop hitting us?" she asked, starting to sob.

"Who?" he asked, his voice confused.

"The stones we threw, Sirius." she said. "All those stones we threw at each other to keep us together… We should have realised that the longer we stayed together, the harder it would be to keep away later, and avoid all this pain."

She cried for a while. When her sobs quietened, he declared: "One day, the stones will stop coming, Hermione. One day, we'll be looking at that pile of rocks at out feet and laugh. Then we'll build a wall with them between us, to keep ourselves from hurting each other."

"But I need you." she whispered.

He shook his head. "You think that now, when you're spreading your deck of secrets on the table, because you know you can't do that with everyone… But one day, you'll find someone else, who knows you the way I do."

She sighed. "I hope it will happen soon." she said.

He smiled. "I'm just your best friend, after all. It's not as if I was your soulmate, or anything." They laughed a little, before he sighed and said: "And for all this pantomime, you should see the state I'm in."

"I can't." she said. "And that's my problem. I know I'm hurting you, but I don't know how much… So I can't heal you. Only time can do that now."

He shook his head. "I can't heal myself with time alone." he said. "I have you tattooed on my skin."

-o-O-o-

Once Hermione got back to her quarters, she slumped down on her bed and did nothing else for the rest of the day. When Regulus came back, the only thing he asked was: "Are you hungry?"

She'd just shaken her head.

He'd lied down next to her and pulled her into his arms, kissing her shoulder in the process. "I'm sorry." he whispered. "I know it was hard for you to give him up just like that."

"How did you know where I was?" she asked him.

"Only one thing could have gotten you in such a state in such a short period of time." he explained. "And that would be going to Azkaban to visit my dear brother."

She sighed and snuggled into his chest. "What time is it?" she asked.

He twisted around to check out the alarm clock and declared: "Half past ten."

"Make love to me, Regulus." she said.

He didn't ask questions, he simply obeyed.

When it was over, they were in a similar position: he was lying down with her against his chest, his nose in the crook of her neck and his arms wrapped around her middle. She placed his hands above his so that both pairs were above her stomach and declared: "I'm pregnant."

He kissed her neck and she felt his tears of happiness on her skin as he caressed her body lovingly.

-o-O-o-

**Yay! A baby coming! :) Aren't we all happy? Please tell me what you thought about this chapter, I'm not very sure about it… So please leave a review! :D**


End file.
